


Malibu

by Fleppy85



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:29:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 35,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24997618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleppy85/pseuds/Fleppy85
Summary: After leaving Las Vegas and going to different places, Sara and Sofia meet again with a little help from their friends.
Relationships: Sofia Curtis/Sara Sidle
Kudos: 1





	Malibu

I

Two hot and sweating bodies in a messed up bed. Sheets tossed aside or wrapped around tired limbs. The smell of fresh and hot sex in the air, making it sticky like in the rainforest. Humid. The walls echoed back the groans and screams of lust, marks of fingernails are on still red skin with wide opened pores, the smell of the other person on each other. Fast pulse running through widened veins, eyes half closed or closed in exhaustion, a satisfying grin on their faces.   
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" One voice asked. Words are blurry, lazy, arrogant. Like you sound after you did something great, deserve a lot of praise. He put his eyes on her, waiting for her to appreciate what he did for her. He gave her a special gift, she had to appreciate.   
"No." Despite the aftermath of sex in the room the second voice was cool, also arrogant, like this was nothing special, just ordinary business. Like she couldn't care less about what happened and they did the last two hours.   
"Not?" Surprise. First cracks in the arrogance, even a tiny little bit of doubt. This wasn't the respond he expected. What went wrong? It couldn't be his mistake.   
She pulled the rug out from under him. "No." A long and slender leg kicks away the sheets, the second one appears from beneath the white and wet fabric. A long arm with fine developed muscles, perfect to wear sleeveless shirts, pushed the beautiful and naked body up. Like a goddess rising in the early morning.   
"What are you doing?"  
"Leaving." The cold voice cut into the hot air.   
"Why? I thought…"  
"Your thoughts are wrong."   
"Don't you believe in love at all?"  
"This wasn't love, this was just sex." A matter of fact voice, cool, like she explained the weather forecast to a stupid child. She put on her blue jeans and the white tank top, not bothering with her underwear, that was torn apart and somewhere on the floor. Something for him to remember her, the two hours they had. Her delicate feet slipped into black boots with murder heels. Without another look at the one in the bed she walked towards the door, picked up the her purse and left. No, she didn't believe in love and she was out of this. It was fun for a night but not more. 

"Fuck!"   
"You should watch your mouth."  
"Save the bullshit for the priest, I don't give a shit."   
"Oh Honey, you're just nervous, that's normal on your wedding day. Hold your breath."  
"I do nothing else since I skipped breakfast. You told me to skip it."  
"You can't eat on your wedding day, every bite will add a pound on your hips on the wedding photo. We don't want you to look fat, it's your wedding, you have to look fabulous, the photos will be for eternity."  
"Photos are always for eternity."  
"This is the most important day in your life."  
Her life? More her mother's life. Ignoring the fuss the older woman made, she concentrated on the music. Time for her to leave the room and walk down the aisle. A special moment in every woman's life, right? Walking towards the one she was about to marry, to spend the rest of her life with. Till do us part. This could be a long time, many years.   
It was a like when she had to decide which job she wanted to do. For the rest of her life. It was a thought that scared her back then. Like most decisions you had to make once and couldn't take back. Forever was very long.   
Anyway, where was she? Right, in the church, the priest was about to wrap this wedding up. No, not this wedding, her wedding. The first 'I do' had been loud and clear, now it was her time. She didn't understand what he said, his words sounded like they were in another language, happy faces all around her, full of expectation, all eyes on her and then…silence. Why was there silence?   
"Do you take this man to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, 'till death do you part?" The way the priest said this words it sounded like he repeated them.   
"Honey, it's your time to answer."  
A really handsome man, tall, dark hair, blue eyes, dentist advertisement smile, a body like a modern day He-Man. He looked at her, a supportive smile on his face. "All you have to say is 'I do' and we're done. Nobody will have a reason for us two not to wed."  
"I do."  
"See, that's and now say it…"  
"No, I do have a reason why can't get married." Her voice sounded strange, like it wasn't her own, but the whole last days felt like this wasn't her life.   
"What?" Disbelieve was written all over his face.   
"I can't marry you." Slowly she felt like she came back to her own life.  
"Why?"   
"I don't love you. Never have." Dressed in her wedding dress, white high heels, make-up and perfect hair she stepped away from the altar, ignoring He-Mans attempts to stop her, the muttering in the church and the eyes on her, she walked towards the exit. Finally she had the feeling she got her life back and did the right thing. 

II

"You will be late! Hurry or the bus will be gone!"   
"Leave me alone and don't stress me!"   
"You're welcome." Sofia smiled and sipped on her coffee. A lovely day in Malibu, sunshine, a light breeze from the ocean stroking over the buildings, gardens, pools, blocked by the Santa Monica Mountains so it couldn't get further in the country. Wasn't she lucky to be on this side of the mountains? It was hot but with the breeze it was bearable while people in the village suffered from the summer heat and windless weather. Not to mention the smog.   
Fast steps on the staircase told her, her housemate did hurry and didn't want to miss her bus. Of course not, like she was thankful Sofia reminded her of the time.   
"Gotta go, no, gotta run. Wrote a new song, you'll love it, play it for you tonight. Bye."  
"See you tonight, have a nice…" The door was shut. "Day." Smiling the blonde went to the window, watched her housemate jogging down the streets. Only two minutes. Two minutes of getting out of her room earlier, putting things aside until the afternoon or evening and the tall black haired woman could have reached the bus without running. But like most days she decided it was worth to hurry for whatever reason.   
Her cell phone rang. "Where are you?"  
"Home, almost on the veranda, having a coffee, watching the ocean. You?"  
"Vegas, wedding chapel."  
"Seriously? I thought you don't believe in marriage."  
"I don't, it's not my wedding. I'm a guest and became a witness."  
"A witness of what?"  
"Of a runaway bride. Until today I believed they only exist in movies."  
"The bride ran?" Smart woman, Sofia thought.   
"Yeah, he said 'I do' and she said 'Bye'. Don't all women want to get married?"  
"No."  
"Strange. Why arrange a wedding when you don't want to get married? Just say 'no' when he proposes and you save a lot of money and time. Not to mention the good cake, I hope I can take some home. Anyway, I'll be back tonight, do you miss me?"  
"No, but I miss your cooking. See you tonight, give me a call when you arrive, I pick you up."  
"Thanks. See you in a few hours."  
"Bye." Sofia ended the call and put her feet up. Brian was in a wedding chapel and witnessed how a wedding went south. A runaway bride. It was impossible to say she did the right thing or would regret it for the rest of her life, but usually when they ran, they had a pretty good reason. Lucky for her the only reason to run was when she jogged along the beach, the sunrise or sunset by her side, listening to the sound of the ocean, of the waves crushing on the beach and the birds singing above her. No more chasing bad guys, no more running after suspects, putting up with complains or people, who'd rather see her dead. Life could be good, all you had to do was take it in your own hands, change what you don't like and turn it into something you enjoy. Like her new life. Her new life was great, it was perfect. Almost perfect? The blonde wasn't sure, somewhere between almost perfect and perfect, definitely it was the best time of her life.   
That was a pretty good start, wasn't it? 

Las Vegas was a great time, some of the best years of her life. She learnt a lot - professional and personal. Eight years, mostly very good times, some roller coaster time, some bad time, really bad time; especially the last weeks of her stay in Sin City.   
To get your life back on tracks it's important to start new, try new things. Sara did it. She quit her job, moved away and started new, in another city, another job. It was hard at the beginning, she thought about Vegas and the people she left, a lot. Was close to go back, back to her friends and old life. With ever week it got better, she started to live more in the present than in the past and began to plan her future.   
"Professor Sidle, do you have a minute?"   
"I'm not a professor, Nico. You know that. I'm only the assistant of the professor." She stopped and smiled at the young woman. Professor Sidle. It sounded good but to be a professor she had to become a doctor first and then continue to professor. A lot of work for a title she didn't care for. Who wants to be a doctor?   
"I've got some question about the paper. Did you get the email I sent you?"  
"Yes and I read it. Your work looks pretty good, Nico."  
"Really? I do have some difficulties with the paper, I mean, it's only fifty percent of the mark, only, I'm funny, it's fifty percent and the other fifty percent are the projects and this test at the end I don't want to think about…"  
"Nico, relax, you're doing pretty good. In both, the project and the paper. You've got one more week, you'll be fine."  
"Can you…no, you can't, of course you can't talk to me about what to change and you read it anyway, it's probably too late to change anything."  
"I can't give it back to you, can't tell you anything that will influence your work at the project or the test, what I can tell you is, I'm impressed and I like what I saw. You continue to work on your project, will show it to the class and me next week, talk to the professor and me and you're done with your science course for this year, holding your bachelor in your hands."  
"I want a master."  
Sara smiled. The voice of the young woman changed from concerned when she asked about her paper to firm when she told her about the master.   
"Only a master?"  
"Well, one step after another. First bachelor, then master and then doctor. If I can get through the courses and exams."  
"You will when you really want it and work for it. One more week, Nico. You'll get over the week, will do more than good at the project and then you'll have summer holidays. A young woman must have other goals for her summer than thinking about university."  
"Did you when you finished your bachelor?"  
"No, I went to Berkley to get an advanced degree." Sara smiled. But she wasn't an ordinary teenager, she was geek.   
"See."  
"Believe me, I've been where you're now and I can tell you, it's worth to take a break every now and then and celebrate life. Only once you're young, later you might look back and regret."  
"Do you regret?"  
"I do regret not doing some things, yes. A good degree is important, but it's not what you're living for. There's a life outside work and it's very important your private life has to be good and healthy otherwise you can't give one hundred percent at work. Or at university. And now go, your boyfriend's waiting for you."  
"He's not my boyfriend, he wants it to be."  
"If he's taking his demand as serious as you take your bachelor you will be his girlfriend soon."  
"Don't tell him, he'll get smug." Nico smiled, waved at Sara and walked to the young man, who waited for her a couple of yards away.   
The brunette laughed quietly. Nico had nothing to worry about, Sara read her paper last night and it had been more than very good. It was one of the best papers she had read since she was an academic at UCLA. The young woman was extremely intelligent and it was delight to read her work and Sara looked forward to see her project.   
Being an academic at UCLA was definitely one of the best things in her new life.

The beach was the favorite spot of Sofia. Every day she went here three times, once after breakfast, once after lunch and once after dinner. Every time with her faithful companion. Happy, a three year old Labrador. Together they jogged or walked at the beach, met other dog owner, had coffee and watched people passing by. For most people it sounded like a dream, live on the beach, take walks, drink coffee and do nothing, for some it sounded like a nightmare. At the moment it was the first version for Sofia, she enjoyed doing nothing special, only enjoying her life. And some occasional work. Her detective and crime scene investigator time was long over, she didn't miss it, didn't want to go back to it. Nowadays she worked as a consultant for a private high end security company in Malibu. She kept up to date with the newest electronic, the newest alarm systems and went to conventions about security and alarm systems. Usually she was less than ten hours away per week at work, only when she had to visit a new client, take a look at his house, property, she was called in. A nice and relaxed life with a lot of money and nothing to worry about.   
The price she had to pay for it? She had two housemates so she could afford her nice place at the beach, which was mostly fun and she was cut off from her family, who was in Las Vegas and wasn't happy about her decision. Not only the move to Los Angeles, there had been a few things the blonde decided to do, that upset her family. Well, sometimes you had to step on somebody's toes to live your life the way you wanted.   
"Isn't it a crime to let a beautiful woman sit alone on the beach?"  
"I'm not alone, I've got a companion." Sofia petted the head of her dog.   
"A trustful one, but a beautiful lady like you should have a man sitting next to her too."  
"Why don't you sit down so I've got a man sitting with me."  
"This must be my lucky day."   
"Like yesterday?" Sofia laughed and pulled the table a little bit closer to herself so the man could sit down better. Mister Doyle, age eighty-one, was her usual companion in the afternoon. Like her he came here every day to watch the ocean and the people and most times they sat together, watched in silence, talked a little bit, mostly she let him tell her about his life. He used to be a blacksmith, back in the days when there were actually horses on the streets of Los Angeles.   
"Did you know that on September twenty-second, eighteen hundred seventy-three the first bus line in Los Angeles opened because the city stretched out more and more. It were horse-drawn vehicles. My grandfather was one of the blacksmiths, who took care of the horses. Unfortunately they got replaced by cable cars."  
"Imagine how long it would take you to go from Malibu to Downtown with a horse-drawn vehicle."  
"Honey, why would you go Downtown? Is there anything you don't have here? Take a look around, you're at the beach, deep blue sky, waves, endless water, sunlight, light breeze, a perfect temperature. We have no reason to go there, it's sticky, filled with people in monkey suits, smog and you see nothing else than buildings, cars and poverty. Downtown isn't the place to be."  
"There are some really nice buildings and lots of history."  
"Nothing compared to the beach and what do you need Downtown for history? You've got me to tell you about the good old days and your father told you a lot of things too. "  
"He did, more than I wanted to know." Sofia sighed. "How are your horses?"  
"Fine, you should come along and visit them."  
"I'm sure they like their quiet life." She had been at his place a couple of times, Edward Doyle lived a mile away from the beach, up the hills on a ranch, where he owned a dozen horses. All ages, all breeds.   
"They do but they also don't mind when you take them out for a ride. At least not the younger ones."  
"The last time I've been horseback riding has been a while."  
"Four months, two weeks and five days. I was there with you."  
"Your memory is amazing." The blonde when she was his age her brain was a fit as his. There was nothing he couldn't remember, no matter what it was. She was sure when she asked him about what they had to drink the last month he could tell her.   
"It's all about training. If you never stop use it, it will serve you until the end of time."  
"I keep that in mind."  
"You've got a sharp mind, you train it, keep doing it and share your knowledge. Every time you share, you repeat and the more often you share, the better you remember. You can't lose things you use frequently, like you don't forget how to brush your teeth or ride a bike."  
"It's been a while I rode a bike."  
"I'm sure you're still capable of doing it. Will you see a new house this week?"  
"Yes, I've got two more appointments."  
"Oh, two more rich people decided they need more protection. Anybody famous on your list?"  
"If there were I couldn't tell you, that's confidential."  
"How many villas of stars have you seen?"  
"A few."  
"Are they nice?"  
"The villas or the stars?"  
"The stars."  
"Some are."  
"Who was the nicest client so far?"  
"You." She laughed. Edward Doyle had been one of her first client and the only one, she met out of work.   
"And again I wonder why I find you here alone every day, without a man by your side. What's wrong with the men nowadays? When I was young a woman like you wouldn't have been able to make a step without half a dozen men following her like puppies."  
"I live with a man in my house."  
"Brian. I really try to be open minded and modern, even when I have to say I prefer the good old times when a man married a woman, settled down, had children and raise a family. Back then when you were born as a woman you were a woman and didn't come up with the idea you're in the wrong body and change to the other gender. I knew Brian when her name was Beverly and she was cute little girl."  
"He has never been a girl, not in his heart."   
"Maybe it's my age that makes it difficult to understand those things."  
"The good things about life is, you don't have to understand everything as long as you can accept those things you don't understand." When Sofia looked for a third housemate and her other housemate brought Brian home, she knew right away he was the right one. Did she know he used to be a woman? No. Brian started to take medicine for his sex change when he was eighteen and had his operation when he was twenty-two. That was five years ago and to her he was a man. He told her about his sex change when she told him, she wanted him in the house, only to be fair, give her a chance to change her mind, but why would she? It didn't change anything for her. Brian was a man, he paid his rent, never made a mess in the house - or not more than they all did - and became a good friend.   
"It's like one of these modern day dishes people started to eat, they're not my cup of tea. Sushi, tofu and whatever their names are. When I was young we made sure fish was cooked well and a sausage was made out of pork or beef."  
"The world is a more colorful place now. Even the TV is in color now."  
"I do remember a time without TV."  
"Even the Flintstones had TV!"  
Edward laughed and petted Sofia's hand. Maybe they didn't agree one everything, but they didn't fight on topics they had different opinions on. 

"Did you get Lucky?"   
"What kind of question is that?"  
"A dog question." Sara picked up the bags from the supermarket and carried them into the condo.   
"Yes I did. Did you get lucky too?"  
"I did, I got all the groceries I wanted."  
"That isn't exactly what I meant."  
"It's all that matters to me."   
"You're such a boring person."   
"Thanks Dean, you're a true brother." Sara dropped the bags on the floor. Yes Dean was her brother, not blood brother but he used to be her brother in a foster family. Baby brother. They met in the last family she had been in before she went to Harvard and kept in touch during that time. Two years later he was placed in another family, they lost contact and when you're young, you don't bother too much about finding foster brothers and sisters. Or she didn't. They ran into each other in Santa Barbara, where Dean lived and worked in a supermarket. After a night of talking, a day of more talking they decided they had even more stories to tell each other and didn't want to lose contact again. For a few weeks they talked every day on the phone, most times for hours and then Dean decided he could also work and live in Los Angeles. The company he was employed with, gave him a job in Santa Monica, they decided to share a place and never regretted it.   
Another new thing in Sara's life, she shared her home with a man, she wasn't involved with. She asked herself a few times if her subconscious was sexual interested in Dean, even when he was younger, but she came always up with the same answer: no. She loved him like a little brother, like the baby brother, she always wished for when she was a child.   
"I am, I let you carry the bags, a boyfriend or admire had carried them for you. Your brother doesn't care."  
"When I wished for a brother I wished for one with manners."  
"I got Lucky, remember."  
"Yeah, my Lucky." Sara bent down and hugged the Golden Retriever. When she got the dog she was a puppy and right from the beginning she felt like she was the luckiest person on earth to have her, so she called her Lucky. She was lucky to have her in her life.   
"You shouldn't hug a dog, you should hug a man, get on the knees for him and not for her."  
"Dean, please."  
"I can get you one."  
"The men you know don't date women."  
"They're not all gay."  
"You work in a gay porn shop, how many straight men need…I don't know…prostate toys?"  
"Some men like to experience new feelings. Pretty good feelings."  
"No more details, please." Sara covered her ears.   
"Pussy."  
"Don't talk about things you've no clue about." She got up, took the leash from the chair. "I bought and carried the groceries, you put them away and prepare dinner. Fags are good in doing housewife duty. Come on Lucky, time to go out for a walk."   
"Unless you're a dyke don't call me fag!"   
"You're my brother, I call you whatever I want." She blew him a kiss and left the kitchen. Time for her and Lucky to spend some time together. While Sara was at work her dog was most times with Dean or a dog sitter when he had to work early. Usually her brother worked late shifts, so he could take care of the Golden Retriever until the afternoon, making it only two hours or so until Sara came home. When he started earlier or left for a couple of hours, he took Lucky to the sitter. Dogs could stay home alone for a while, but it was more fun for them to be with other dogs and play.   
"Where would you like to go to? Up the mountains into the wood or down to the beach?" Lucky took her leash into her snout and pulled her owner with her. "The mountains? A good decision, it's warm, we'll find some shade up there and when we're lucky, even a little bit of wind. And fresh water for you. We can go to the small waterfall, maybe it still has water and you can take a bath." Her dog loved water and swimming and Sara did too. When Lucky was in the water, she'd follow her and refresh herself. 

III

"I tell you, when I grow up I'll have the same job you have. You get paid to sneak around other people's places, drink champagne, nibble expensive food and watch the world go by. What did you do to get this job?" Brian asked and placed a basket with fresh rolls on the table. They sat on the balcony in front of his room, watched the Santa Monica mountains and how the sunshine came over the top of the mountain, ready to kiss their house good morning.   
"I went to college, university, police academy, became a CSI, a detective and continued to increase my knowledge about electronic and security." She did a lot of things and no matter what she did, she always gave her best and usually was one of the best.   
"Sounds more than boo-ooo-ring!"   
"No pain, no gain."  
"I think I stay a waiter. It's a good way to get in touch with women too."  
"Got any dates for today?"  
"Only work dates. What about you? Found a sexy surfer?"  
"I've got a coffee date and later maybe a cake date."  
"Sounds like the day of an old lady."  
"I am a lady."  
"You're a lady, who needs a gentleman. Why do you see a eighty-something old man? Doesn't he have a son? Grandson? Somebody around your own age."  
"You rent a room here and are not employed as a relationship counselor nor as a life coach."  
"I worry about you."  
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Aren't we, Happy?" Her dog barked once, his eyes on her roll. "You had your breakfast, this is mine."  
"What yours is mine, what mine is none of your business. Pretty easy theory, Happy lives after it; happily."  
"He does."  
"And he's relaxed, unlike his mommy. No more coffee for you."  
"How can you be this calm?"  
"Progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, meditation. I'm in piece with my inner me. It's something I learnt during the operations to get into my real body. When you're doing them every day, make them a part of your life, they decrease pain too. I'm sure I needed less painkiller, had less pain because of these exercises."  
"The last time I tried the body scan I fell asleep."  
"Your concentration wasn't on the exercise."  
"First it was, then I felt so warm, heavy and…fell asleep. In a very relaxed way."  
"We can do a few exercises later."  
"Sounds good. One day I might sit at the beach, meditate and look like Buddha."  
"For Buddha you have to put on a couple pounds."  
"I can do that, it's shopping time, time to buy chocolate, cookies, chips, ice cream, desserts. No more jogging, no more hikes, only relaxation and long hours on the couch."  
"Honey, you're way too nervous to sit around the whole day. Plus when you put on fifty pounds you endanger your job. This is Los Angeles, when people order you to come to your place, they expect you to be fit and look like a model."  
"I'm twenty years too old for a model."  
"Bullshit."  
"No bullshit."  
"A model for seniors?"  
"Honey, forty is the new twenty. You're not forty yet, means, you're a teenager."  
"You're crazy." Sofia laughed. A teenager, that was a long time ago, in another millennium. Today she was closer to the forty than thirty, which was fine too. The times, when she was afraid of getting older, were long over. Nowadays she had no problems with getting older, even finding one or two tiny little wrinkles in her face. They made her face unique, made her look alive. Nothing was worse than a Botox face, that looked all the time the same. She wanted her friends to see when she was angry. 

Sara tried to keep her face stoic when she opened the door. Her last work appointment before the long summer holidays. Less than fifteen minutes and she could leave the university and go home, forget about work for a few weeks before she had to get back to the books and plan the new semester.   
"Miss Newton, have a seat."  
She felt a little bit sorry for the young woman, who was anxious, nervous and breathed too shallow. For Sara it was only one more appointment, one more statement, for Miss Newton it was one of the most important moments in her life. Her future and her career depended on what Sara and her colleague were about to tell her. The last mark, the mark for the bachelor test. The writing tests were over, the practice tests too, now it was time to give the marks to the students. Some failed, some succeeded, some were very lucky to get through the year, some did it solid. She had seen a lot of tears today, tears of joy and tears of sadness. Five students didn't make it, they failed their tests.   
"How are you?"  
"Fine." A lie, it was more than obvious for Sara and her colleague, that the young woman was everything but fine. Sweat stains were on her shirt, her hands were wet when she shook hands with her professor and his assistant and her left feet moved up and down.   
"You took a pretty impressive topic for your practical test, impressive and very demanding. I haven't seen it often in a bachelor course, it more common for the early master students." Professor Maier said. He was in his late fifties, gray hair, gray eyes and most students called him 'The Iron Man'. He wasn't an athletics, never participated an Iron Man tournament, but his feelings were like they were made of iron, buried all empathy under a solid iron mass.   
"I like challenges." The voice told Sara, at the moment the young woman would prefer not a challenge, something safe, something she knew, was good and made her pass the test.   
"Sometimes they overwhelm you."  
More sweat, more lip biting. Maier liked to torture his students, mentally. Let them suffer for a while. Sometimes he freed them, sometimes he watched them go down.   
Sara wasn't a fan of the human torture, she didn't like it to let people wait longer than necessary. She searched for eye contact with the young woman and when she got it, she smiled a little bit, hoped, it would relax her.   
"Your experiment worked and…"  
"Can you just say if I passed or not? This drives me crazy." The young woman blurred out and closed her mouth embarrassed with her hands. This wasn't meant to be said out loud. "Sorry."  
"Patience isn't your strength, Miss Newton."  
"I try to use time wisely."  
"And not waste any time?" Sara asked, slightly amused.   
"Kind of."  
"So, we're wasting your time?" Professor Maier asked.   
"No! No, of course not, I didn't mean it this way…"  
"You only want to know if you can celebrate or if your summer is ruined." Sara helped her out.   
"Not only the summer would be ruined."  
"It was your own decision to have it hard, you could have taken an easy way to your bachelor."  
"Like I could celebrate with a not perfect mark, but I want a good one, I've been in the top quarter of my classes all the time, usually in the top five and it's exactly what I want for my bachelor mark. Being in the top five, or even better, top three. There are a lot of students, universities can choose, a stipendium isn't given to a middle-rated student, they want top students and I want to be one of them."  
"You want to be one of them or you are one of them?"  
"I am one of them."   
There was the confidence Sara missed the last minutes. The confidence, she liked about the young woman. She reminded her a lot of herself, when she was young and fought to be one of the best, or even better: the best. You need a certain attitude to become the best, like you have to take some risks or challenges.   
"Like you're one of the impatient students. A scientist has to be patient otherwise he rushes the experiment, the work, and interferes with the result."  
"Yes sir."  
"To get into details about your project…"  
Sara rolled her eyes. Now her colleague was in what she called 'priest mode', about to lecture the young woman with a long monologue. This could take some time, especially after Miss Newton asked to get her results immediately.   
Helpless eyes found hers. She couldn't interrupt her colleague, couldn't just blur out the results but she could move her fingers a little bit. Slowly she lifted her hands a little bit, hid her left thumb under the hand so she showed nine fingers, closed her hands for a second and hid both thumbs under her hands. Nine and eight.   
The way the eyes got bigger of the young woman told her, she understood Sara. Ninety-eight percent, she passed, almost perfect. All the tensions were gone and a hidden soft smile was visible in the corner of her mouth. She passed. Not only passed, she did very good. Only two points weren't given, two tiny mistakes. That was better than she hoped.   
"Miss Sidle, do you have the paper?" Professor Maier asked.   
"Sure." She handed him the paper with the result.   
"Thank you. Miss Newton, there were two things in your project I didn't agree with."  
"Okay."  
"The rest was quite good."  
"Quite good? What does it mean?"  
"It means you passed, congratulation."   
"But not one hundred percent."  
"No, ninety-eight."  
"Ninety-eight, not too bad. The next time I want one hundred." The young woman got up, smiled and shook the hand of Professor Maier and Sara. "Thanks. Have nice summer holidays."  
"Work on the two percent." Professor Maier said.   
"I will."   
"Go and celebrate." Sara smiled. "You deserve a few weeks away from university. It was a pleasure to work with you."  
"Please, ladies, if you want to chat, you can do that in a café, this is an office."  
Miss Newton rolled her eyes. "Bye and thanks." She went to the door and left.   
Sara looked at her colleague. He was a great scientist, but when it came to human behavior, empathy and interpersonal communication he failed all tests. Didn't this sound like somebody else she knew? Somebody she had been engaged with? 

Sofia opened the car door for Happy to jump out of the car. The were on the beach south of Malibu, a few miles away from Santa Monica. Here the coastline was a not only pure sand, there were some rocks too but nobody bothered when she let Happy ran, he could chase the waves, something he loved a lot. While her dog jumped straight into the waves, she sat down and watched him. It was good to see her dog happy, free and doing exactly what he loved most. This was the way she wanted him to be, this was the way she wanted her life to be.   
Was her life happy? Most times, yes. Since she lived in Malibu it was a good life. She hadn't seen a dead body since she left Las Vegas. Didn't carry a gun, didn't have to shoot or chase somebody. The violence was gone. The first weeks she felt like she lived somebody else's life. No more detective Curtis, no more LVPD.   
At no time it occurred to her looking for a job at the Los Angeles Police department. She'd rather become a teacher or a clerk in a shop than a member of any law enforcement team. No more violence, no more dead bodies, no more families she had to comfort. Never again see the face of a husband or wife when you tell him or her the spouse died, was killed. There had been enough darkness in her life and she was done with it. It was time for light, for good news, happy people.   
Of course as a security expert she made her money because of the bad guys. She went to places to protect them, make sure nobody entered without the permission of the owner, or when there had been an break in, she looked at plans and photos, finding out what to change, how to keep the house and family safe. Prevention was her work and not the dirty clean-up, she was called before something happened and not after. Or when something happened other people cleaned up, she didn't have to worry anymore.   
"Hey Happy leave the seagulls alone, they can fly, you can't." The Labrador looked at her like he didn't believe a word and ran after the next seagull.   
"Okay, do what you have to do." The blonde leant back and closed her eyes. If her dog thought he could catch a seagull, wanted to chase them, tire himself out, he was more than welcome to do it. This way she didn't have to worry about him having too much energy when they were back home.   
Her home. A house in Malibu, only half a mile away from the beach, right where the Santa Monica Mountains began. She could see the ocean from her balcony, not the beach, there were other buildings in her way, but the blue water was there. Like there were the mountains on the other side of the house. A big one, an expensive one. The prices were high here, the only reasons she could afford her house were her two housemates and the fact it had been in a bad shape when she bought it and the money from her condo and belongings from Vegas. Four bags were all she took with her in her new life.   
With a smile she thought about her first weeks here. She slept in a tent in the garden, it wasn't possible to sleep in the house. Too dirty, too dangerous. The whole floor had to be renewed, she did it alone. Some walls too. New windows, new electricity, new doors. When the maintenance men did all she couldn't do, she continued with painting every room, buying lamps, a kitchen, furniture for her bedroom and the living room. She also needed three new bathrooms as every bedroom was connected to a bathroom. At the end there were a lot of bills and no money left. Yes, she had an income, but it wasn't high enough. So she looked for housemates, prepared to find them on the internet.   
Then everything came different, everything changed, to a better. The job wasn't the real reason why she came to Malibu, she had another one, a better one. She wanted to see somebody, get in contact, build a relationship and…sometimes life has very positive surprises for you and Sofia was sure, life had been more than generous with her in this area.   
"Happy, did you give up? Happy?" Where was her dog? He never ran too far away. She got up to have a better view. No Happy in the ocean, no Happy close to the seagulls on the left, no Happy on the right. Nervously she jogged up to her car. Her dog should know better than be around the street, the highway. Usually he stayed away from cars, didn't cross a street without her by his side, she trained him well. No Happy around and she hadn't heard any brakes or horns.   
"Happy? Happy, where are you? Come here!" She whistled. He always came when she called or whistled. Where was the happy waggling brown tail? Why didn't she hear him barking? What happened?   
"Happy?" Fear rose inside her, she felt how her pulse ran faster. She ran back to the ocean, look, searched the water, the beach. It was a short sandy area, to both sides were rocks, after a few yards you had to climb over rocks, steep rocks or get up to the highway. Where did Happy go? Was he in the water? Did a current get him? Was he pulled out into the ocean? Or drowned? Why didn't he bark?   
"Happy!" The first tears rose up, she swallowed hard to hold them back and pulled her cell phone out of the pocket. "Brian? I need you here! Fast! Happy is missing!" She needed her friend to help her. Something happened to her dog and Sofia had to find him, help him. 

"School's out for summer!" Sara sighed and buried her feet in the warm sand. No more university for a while. When she was a student she spent the holidays with learning, preparing for the new semester, getting some work experience. This time she was free to relax and do nothing else than enjoy her time. Maybe she could do a little trip, she booked one to Peru, but why not a second one? Take Lucky and go for a few walks. Somewhere cooler than here, her Golden Retriever wasn't the biggest fan of heat. It was one reason why she tried to pull Sara into the water.   
"No, I don't want to swim now, Lucky."   
The Golden Retriever looked at her like she wanted to say, she didn't care what Sara wanted. It was hot, she had a lot of hair and needed a cold bath. If Sara didn't feel like it, she could unleash her and Lucky would take care of it herself.   
"You're such a bad mommy." Dean said and sat next to her, having ice cream in his hands.   
"Ditto."   
"I'm a pretty good daddy…get lost, dog! You don't get my ice cream, go and have your swim. I don't share."  
"Yeah, such a good daddy."  
"Sugar isn't good for her. How was your last school day?"  
"Pretty good."  
"How was it for your students?"  
"Pretty good too. Well, not for five of them, the rest passed the last test and should be celebrating right now."  
"You never celebrated when you were young."  
"I did celebrate."  
"Not when we knew each other."  
"Later, when I was in Berkley."  
"Why don't you celebrate today? Your first day of a long vacation. Any plans? Besides Peru."  
"Maybe I take Lucky away for a few days, up to the Rocky Mountains, it's cooler there."  
"No trips back to Vegas?"  
"No, too warm."  
"Too much history you don't want to think about." He corrected her.   
"Another reason."  
"You can't run away forever."  
"I'm not running away, I'm sitting on the beach, feet in the sand and enjoy the sunshine."  
"Don't play dumb, you know what I mean. Did you call him?"  
"What for?"  
"Talk."  
"I'd rather talk to a parking meter. There's nothing left to say, we're done and I don't want to go back to the past all the time. I live here and now and that's important. My life is good, I don't miss Vegas, don't miss anything from there…except Greg and with him I'm in contact. No, Lucky and me, we go to the mountains."  
"If that makes you happy."  
"It does, it's…" The rest of her sentence was washed away, like Sara was pulled away. She tied the leash to her left leg and there was a pressure on it, that made Sara's body yank to the left. "What the…" After she was pulled a yard or so through the sand the leash tear apart and her dog was free.   
"Lucky! What are you…oh no! Come back! " Sara got on her feet and followed her dog. Her well behaved and faithful Golden Retriever ignored her calls, ran towards another dog.   
"Damn it! Lucky, come back! Get away from him! Dean!"   
"I'm here." Together they ran to the dogs, who took off as soon as they came close.   
"Lucky! Oh fuck!"   
"Exactly." Dean stopped to get some air. Running was something he was good at.   
"Do something!"   
"Like what?"  
"He jumped her."  
"She's a bitch in heat, he's a horny dog, of course he jumps her."  
"Lucky!" Sara tried to get the leash but when she came close, Lucky and the other dog stopped and ran away again.   
"Stop it!"   
"No, they just started again."  
"That's not funny. What if she gets pregnant?"  
"We'll have a lot of puppies."  
"Where's the damn owner? This is an on-leash beach." Sara looked around. Nobody except Dean and her was chasing the dogs. Some people looked, some laughed but nobody helped them. Helpless she had to watch how another dog jumped her own one, probably got her pregnant. It had been wrong to take Lucky to the beach, she should have kept her at home. But she couldn't ground her dog for three weeks or so only because she was in heat. Lucky needed to get out, needed her walks. Until today nothing ever happened.   
"You'll be a nana."  
"Not funny!"   
"No, but cute." Dean jumped, managed to get the end of Lucky's leash and pulled the bitch away from the other dog. "Hey, get away from her." He pushed the other dog away, who kept around, trying to get back at Lucky.   
"What did you do?" Sara pulled the towel over her dog. This way the other dog couldn't get her anymore.   
"It's called sex, Sara. The way they looked it was fun and when you try it you might like it too."  
"One more stupid comment like this and you won't have sex for a long, long time!"   
"Down girl." He grinned. "I can't see anybody claiming the dog. We made so much noise, everybody should have heard and seen us. Where's your daddy, buddy?" Dean got down and offered his hand to the dog.   
"I'm going to kick him in his crotch."  
"No wonder you don't have a boyfriend. Come here, buddy, that's a good boy." He held the collar of the dog. "There's a number written down. Did you run away from your daddy? I read somewhere dogs can smell from a long distance when there's a bitch in heat. Lucky did make some dogs nervous today, this one got away - and lucky. In both ways."  
"We're going to make an appointment with the vet for you, young lady. This was the last time you were a bitch in heat. I want one dog and not a house full."  
"Puppies are so cute."  
"Great, do you want to take care of them?"  
"We can sell them."  
"Like there aren't enough dogs in this city already. The shelters are full."  
"A lot of people want puppies, you did too. And we don't know if she's pregnant, just because they had sex it doesn't mean she's pregnant."  
"No, I hope Lucky was lucky and isn't. Anyway, you will see the vet soon!"  
"And I will call your daddy, I'm sure he misses you." Dean took his cell phone out of his pocket. He was sure the owner of the dog was happy to hear his best friend was alive and well, that he might face child support claims was the bad part of the news. 

For a moment Sara thought about taking Lucky into the car, make sure her bitch was safe and away from all other dogs. Then she considered the heat, her car was parked in the sun, it was too hot for her dog in there without the air condition running and she wasn't a fan of a running car standing on a car park. So she kept Lucky in the towel and made sure no dog came close to her.   
Dean kept the other dog next to him, holding his collar, which wasn't necessary as the dog made no attempts to leave. His eyes were on Lucky and he barked once in a while, which made Lucky whine. Obviously both weren't happy about being apart.   
"Honey, I can see you like him but I won't risk you pregnant. Maybe it's too late anyway but if not, we won't take any more risks. You don't need puppy babies, we don't have the space for ten or twelve babies."  
"Although we'd really love to have them, keep them, which would be another problem. Imagine cute little Luckies with golden and brown hair. So adorable."  
"No doubt about it, but we can't keep them, in fact, I hope she isn't pregnant at all." Sara pulled Lucky closer in her arms and buried her face in the golden hair. Her beautiful dog, her everything. What would she do if Lucky was pregnant? Of course there was the possibility to tell the vet to get rid off the babies while they were still inside Lucky. Tell him to spay her, no puppies, never again problems about a bitch in heat. She'd do it, tell the vet to spay Lucky if she wasn't pregnant. When it was too late…Sara knew very well she wasn't capable of telling the vet to kill unborn puppies.   
"Happy! Happy! Oh, there you are!"  
Sara hold still for a second. Did her ears play a joke on her? Was there something wrong with her hearing? Because she had her head buried in Lucky's hair and the wind and sounds of the ocean.   
"There is your mommy, Happy." Dean said.   
"You found him. Thanks. I don't know what happened, he never ran away. Why did you run, buddy? I worried about you."   
"He came here to meet Lucky."  
"He came here because he's not well behaved, which is no surprise now that I know who his mother is." Sara said and looked up, straight into the deep blue eyes, she hadn't seen for over three years, the blue eyes, she knew all too well.   
"Sara?"  
"Hi Sofia, you have to teach your dog some manners and I might sue you."  
"What?"  
"You know each other?" Dean asked surprised.   
"Yes, we worked together. In Vegas."  
"Why do you want to sue me? Because my dog ran away? You can't be serious. It's not like I sent him away, I worried, he never did something like this before."  
"What a crazy coincidence, you meet again in Los Angeles after your dogs found each other." It looked like Dean was the only one, who was amused about it. Sofia looked surprised, Sara's face was stoic.   
"What's your problem?" Sofia asked the brunette.   
"You're not capable of looking after your dog."  
"That's bullshit."  
"She's only scared her Lucky is pregnant after your Happy got lucky. In both ways. You might be a grandmother in a few weeks. Lucky and Happy will be parents, I love their names, they're a totally match."  
"Your bitch is in heat?"   
"Yes and your dog jumped her and we couldn't get him off her."  
"Why do you let your bitch in heat run free?"  
"I didn't, she was on her leash until your dog appeared and she tore the leash apart to take off with him. He jumped her twice and you're responsible for it."  
"I'm responsible? Why didn't you take care of your dog?"  
"Ladies, before you start a cat fight next to your dogs, lets take a deep breath, we have no reasons to fight. If Lucky is pregnant it's too late. Sara, I know you, you will never tell the vet to get rid off the puppies, even when they're unborn. Lucky was as bad behaved as Happy was, none of them listened when we called, so neither you nor Sofia is to blame. You can't blame the dogs, they did what's in their nature and…oh come, Lucky and Happy? That's so cute and I'm already in love with their love. Look how they look at each other."  
"She's a bitch in heat, of course he wants to get to her." Sara grumbled.   
"To get her pregnant they had to be together for at least fifteen minutes. Did that happen?" Sofia sighed.   
"No."  
"See, no babies. You can relax."  
"We should all relax. Or you do that and I go to work. Nice meeting you, Sofia. And Happy. I see you tonight, Sara."  
"Yeah, enjoy work.  
"Bye…I never caught your name."  
"Dean. Bye ladies, remember, no cat fight." He grinned and left.   
Sara looked at Sofia and the dogs. Both were quietly whining, waggling their tails and trying to get closer to each other.   
"Lucky, you don't want babies!"  
"And you're way too irresponsible to be a father, Happy. Running away, leaving me worrying is not nice!"   
"How far did he run?"  
"Three miles, I was up north, on a small beach. Usually it's the perfect place, people don't stop for these couple of yards of sand and he can play and jump into the water. I closed my eyes for a moment and suddenly he was gone. He never did that before and I was afraid, he ran onto the highway and got hit by a car."  
"It's good your number is on his collar."  
"Yeah, I thought in case he gets lost…hey!" Sofia pulled Happy back when he tried to bite another dog, who came close to them and showed interest in Lucky, who also growled. "Looks like she doesn't like another dog. Did she growl at him too?"  
"No, she was more than happy to see him…gosh if Dean had seen this, he'd start to dream of a fairytale love."  
"He's a romantic man."  
"He's a love fool."  
"And you're still as charming as you used to be, Sara."  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
"Just what I said. How about a coffee?"  
"With your horny dog? How are we supposed to keep them apart?"  
"Happy can be in the garden and we leave Lucky in the house, this way no dog can get close to her. I live five miles up the highway, there's some really great cheesecake in my fridge. We have a reason to celebrate: your dog isn't pregnant and I've got mine back. What do you think?"  
"We haven't seen each other in three years or so and didn't have a nice reunion so far…okay, why not. Lucky is safe inside and they can look at each other through a window." Sara knew she hadn't been nice to Sofia, it wasn't the blonde's fault what happened. She worried about her dog and it could have been Lucky, who ran away. One thing was for sure, until she was with her dog at the vet, she'd get a better leash to keep her close to her.   
"The garden door." Sofia laughed. "Okay, lets follow me, I parked over there, the black Sedan."  
"My green Golf will follow you. Come on Lucky." Her dog tried to get to Happy, but Sara kept her hand firm on the collar and pulled her with her to the car. "No way, you get in here. No more fooling around. You can stare at Happy from the inside while he's outside." She closed the trunk and got into her car.   
Lucky and Happy, yes Dean was right, the similar names were funny. Why did Sofia call her dog Happy? Had he been a happy puppy? Was she happy that she got him? Like she thought she was lucky to see Lucky and hoped she'd have a lucky life. 

"Nice house, pretty big, did you win the lottery?" Sara asked she stood in front of Sofia's house. She had no real idea how expensive houses in Malibu exactly were, but she knew, they were very expensive. "Or married a rich man?"  
"No." The blonde unlocked the door and pushed Happy inside. "Come in. You, my little man, go straight to the garden." She pulled Happy through the hallway. He tried to stop but his paws slipped on the stone floor and he had no chance to stay back with Lucky, who tried herself to escape the hands of her owner. Not successful.   
Sara followed the blonde though the hallway into the living room. Like in the hallway Sofia kept everything in white or brown. A big couch, a flat screen TV on the wall, two book shelves, two armchairs, a fire place.   
"So, one is outside, you can let Lucky walk around, she can go wherever she wants - except the garden."  
"It's exactly where she wants to go." Sara watched how her dog sat in front of the door and looked at Happy, who barked once and tried to open the door.   
"Stop that!" Sofia ordered. "Why don't you go outside, I prepare coffee and get the cake. Lucky, there's water in the kitchen…I get it for you."  
"Her attention is on Happy."  
"I could close the curtains, but that won't help."  
"No." Sara opened the door and pushed Lucky back inside and then Happy back outside. "No, you don't go to Lucky, she stays alone. We don't want puppies in the house, it's not such a nice and big house like yours and we don't have a garden." Sara sat on a garden chair and leant back. Nice, a table and chairs for four people, a hammock, a garden swing and a little pool, secured by a big cover. Otherwise, she bet, Happy made this his pool.   
"You sit down! No! Down Happy!" Sofia ordered when she opened the door.   
"Let me get him." Sara got up, pulled Happy back so the blonde could get out of the living room, in one hand a basket and holding back Lucky with the other. "Door closed, dogs apart. Sit down and relax, you won't get close to her." Sofia put the basket on the table. "Now it's time for us to have a coffee and cake."  
"Will Happy start to bark?"  
"Usually he's not a barker. Is Lucky one?"  
"No, she's a quiet dog. Now tell me, how did you get your hands on this house?" Sara leant back with her cup of coffee.   
"I slept with the former owner and for that I got the house." The blonde said dryly.   
"Oh, how handy. Does he have another house in Malibu, he wants to give away for some sex?"  
"Not just sex, mind blowing sex."  
"Of course, how I could think you had just sex with a man."  
"Old man."  
"How much older?"  
"He's around eighty."  
"Yuck, you're disgusting." Sara made a grimace. "Seriously, how did you afford it?"  
"It was in a horrible condition when I bought it. The floor had to be replaced, some walls too, I've no idea how many buckets with paint I bought, everything had to be renewed, all windows and so on. Everything I could do, I did myself, for the rest I called maintenance men and when the three bedrooms with connected bathrooms, the living room, the kitchen and the office were ready I realized the debts are higher than the Santa Monica Mountains. To get them down I got myself two housemates and now I make some money extra every month."  
"Some? In an area like this you should make at least a grand per month, even when you rent out only a room with a connected bathroom."  
"Peanuts when it comes to my debts, I can tell you. Lucky me I have a job too."  
"Detective Curtis with the LAPD?"  
"No, security and alarm system advisor Curtis, specialized in high end villas and huge star palaces."  
"Wow, not too bad. You're busy."  
"No, I work ten hours per week, it gives me enough time to enjoy my life, spend time with my dog, when he's not taking off." Sofia looked at Happy, who lay in front of the living room door and looked at Lucky on the other side. "Romeo, stop staring."  
"He tries to figure out how to open the door. You need fingers for that."  
"Poor guy, we're not nice, making fun of his broken heart. Or interrupted libido. When you were a teenager and wanted to have a date, a hot one, and somebody locked you in your room, it drove you crazy too."   
"It never happened to me." Sara smiled.   
"Sure, you were a good daughter, never dated behind your parents' back."  
"No, I didn't. My foster parents had never to worry about me. Unlike captain Curtis who surely had enough work on her hands with you."  
"Guess from whom I inherited it."  
"How did you manage to get into police academy?"  
"With my fabulous smile and amazing brain."  
"You slept with an eighty year old dean?"  
"Who's the disgusting one?"  
"Sorry. Why did you come to Los Angeles?"  
"I needed a change of cities. The last weeks in the city weren't nice…" Sofia stopped. The last weeks in Las Vegas were the weeks when Sara's life went down too. When she was abducted, the Hannah case and other things, Sofia was sure, she had no clue about. Mostly Sara's abduction had been her reason to leave the city, to get away. Too many things had happened to the night shift and even when she wasn't a CSI anymore, she worked closely with them and they were their friends.   
"Los Angeles has a lovely beach, I was sick and tired of living in a desert. And if I get homesick it's only a four hours drive to Las Vegas and I'm back on The Strip."  
"How often did you go back?"  
"Every two months or so. You?"  
"Never."  
"Okay, why?"  
"Las Vegas is past and the past is over. I live in the present and plan for the future."  
"Since when are you in Los Angeles? Or are you here on a vacation?"  
"No, I live in Santa Monica. After Nathalie abducted me I thought about my job, my life and when Hannah showed me how our hands are tied sometimes, that we can't always right the wrong, I realized I don't want this anymore. Life has more to offer than dead bodies. Beautiful beaches for example."  
"A world famous pier."  
"The start or end of the also world famous Route 66."  
"Have you ever took a road trip down Route 66?"  
"No, I always wanted to do it, wanted to rent a bike and drive the whole road."  
"Me too, but I don't have a motorbike license and not the time for it. If you plan to do this trip you need a few weeks, at least four to see most things. It makes no sense to rush through the cities and towns."  
"So much history and historical places to visit."  
"History? You're such a geek." Sofia laughed. When Sara talked about history it sounded like she wanted to spend a lot of time in a museum and not on a cool motorbike. 

"Want some more coffee?"  
"No thanks, I think it's time to go home." Sara stretched. "Where's Happy?"  
"Probably in his favorite spot next to the pool, hoping for somebody to pull off the cover. Hey Happy, where are you?" The blonde got up and looked around. "Happy? Oh come on, where are you?"  
"Your garden is fenced, isn't it?"  
"Yes, of course. Happy?" Sofia went to the pool, no dog. "Happy?" No dog. She went to the front side of the garden, no dog. In her entire garden was no dog. "That's impossible. He's gone."  
"To where? How?" Sara was next to her.   
"I've got no idea, he lives here for almost two years, he never got out of the garden. The fence is six feet high."  
"And over there is a wonderful help for him to get out of here." Sara pointed to the table tennis table, that stood close to the fence. If Happy jumped on it, it was only one jump between him and freedom.   
"Bugger. But why? This table stands there for a long time, he never used it to jump over the fence."  
"Or he did and came back without you knowing of it."   
"I like to think that's not true. Maybe he sits in front of the door and waits for me to open the door. Today he's not a good dog, he's a very, very bad one."   
"He's young and takes his opportunities. Like his mommy."  
"He'll get in trouble, like his mommy did." Sofia opened the door to the living room, stepped inside and stopped. "I don't believe this."   
"What?" Sara stepped next to the blonde and looked down. "Oh shit." There was Lucky, lying on the floor, asleep. Next to her was Happy, also asleep. "How did he get here?"  
"I've no idea. Even when he jumped over the fence, the front door was locked, he doesn't have a key and even if, he can't do anything with it."  
"They could have been together for like what? An hour? Two?" They talked for a while, lost track of time over it.   
"I can't remember seeing him around for at least an hour, thought he went to his favorite spot to sleep. Wait, I've a look if one of my housemates is back, they must have let him in." The blonde threw one last look at the dogs and sighed. To separate them now was too late, whatever happened, it was done.   
"Oh Lucky, what did you do?" Sara sat next to her dog and petted her. "I mean, I can understand why you did it, it's nature but…we might be in big trouble now. If you become a mommy, what are we going to do with your babies? Where should we leave them? There's not enough space in our condo for all of them."   
Lucky waggled her tails twice and placed her head on Sara's leg. To her everything seemed to be wonderful and perfect.   
"My housemate let him in, she was surprised to find him outside and didn't bother after he was inside, went upstairs. Do you think they…succeeded?"  
"It's the only explanation why they lie around. I'll sue you for child support, Sofia. Or Happy, which goes straight back to you."  
"So you won't take Lucky to the vet and tell him to get rid off the puppies?"  
"It would be the most sensible thing to do, the problem is, I don't think with my head when it comes to my dog. Gosh, let it be only two puppies."  
"Unlikely. But maybe Lucky was lucky and isn't pregnant."  
"That will be my prayer, the first one for ages. Come on, Honey, we go home." Lucky got up and followed Sara; so did Happy.  
"One moment, young man, you stay here." Sofia grabbed Happy's collar. "You did enough mess today, you go on your blanket and think about how to support your family. A father has to support his children and the wife, you will be responsible for what you did."  
"Will you send him out tomorrow for some work? Bring back bones?"  
"Something like that."  
"I give Lucky a few days and take her to a vet, otherwise we have no idea if she's pregnant."  
"Let me know what the vet says." Sofia opened the door for Sara. "How can I reach you? I've got the telephone number of your boyfriend and he's got mine. Do I get yours too? Or can I only reach your via him?"  
"I call you." The brunette grinned. "Until then, caponize your casanova or you might get more child support claims."  
"You hear that, Happy? She wants me to take away your manhood. Go, hide somewhere!" Happy ignored Sofia's warning, he tried to follow Sara and Lucky out of the house and had to be hold back. Apparently he preferred to stay with them instead of hiding somewhere safe. 

IV

Sofia wasn't surprised that Sara didn't call the next day nor the day after that. A part of her was sure the brunette wouldn't call at all, that she, Sofia, had to call Dean and ask for Sara. Dean, Sara's boyfriend. Something was odd about him and her, they didn't act like a couple, no kisses, no hugs, then again, there had never been any signs of Sara's and Grissom's relationship and they had been together for…well, as long as everybody else than the two knew, at least two years but it could be longer. Nobody told her and she was sure, it wasn't a question, she should ask.   
When her cell phone rang on a late Wednesday morning she thought it was one of the annoying advertisement calls.   
"I'm not buying, not selling and I'm not interested."  
"The Sofia I used to know was always interested in lunch and coffee."  
"Sara? I thought I've to call Dean to get you on the phone."  
"You don't get me via Dean, save yourself the time."  
"Now I've got your cell phone number, I can get you on your own phone. Where will we have lunch and coffee?"  
"Didn't you say you're not interested?"  
"When I thought you're one of the idiots, who call you all the time to sell you whatever shit they offer. Where and when?"  
"Malibu Pier, half an hour."  
"Without or without dog?"  
"I don't know about Happy, Lucky is quite unhappy since she's away from your dog. Like a teenager with a broken heart."  
"Sounds a lot like my misbehaved dog. He tried to run away after you left, I had to keep him on a leash the next day and he's whining all the time he's in the living room and smells Lucky. Do you know…?"  
"I see you and Happy in half an hour, don't be late, I'm hungry." Sara ended the call.   
"Of course I've got the time to meet you." The blonde said to the dead connection. "It's not like I've got anything to do, I just work and…why is she not at work?" Sara never told her what exactly she was doing in Los Angeles, never told her what she was working. Did she work nightshift again?   
"Happy? Happy, come here!" Not as happy as he usually was, Happy came down the stairs to see his owner. "Hello Boy, how are you?" Happy put his snout on her leg. "I've got some good and some bad news for you. The bad news are we're a play ball, the good news are you can see Lucky pretty soon. How do you like that? We go and see Lucky? Your cute little girlfriend, who might be the mother of your children. Sara didn't say a word about this, I'm not sure if she knows if Lucky is pregnant, but it's Sara, so everything is possible."  
Happy seemed to understand, his tail waggled rapidly and he barked twice. To Sofia it was a sign of happiness.   
"All right, lets get ready for lunch, coffee and a date for you. This time you better behave yourself, no jumping on Lucky, she shouldn't be in heat anymore anyway. Try to be a gentleman."  
"Who has to be a gentleman?" Brian asked, walking into the kitchen, dressed in boxer and a shirt.   
"Happy, he has a date with Lucky."  
"The bitch of your friend? Quite sexy friend. Is she available?"  
"I've no idea and Sara isn't a person you ask this kind of question."  
"A mystery woman? I like that. People should have their secrets, it's so much fun to explore them step by step."  
"Good luck with her."  
"You never know, Happy got Lucky, I might get Sara."  
"I doubt you're her type."  
"Hey, I'm a sexy guy."  
"Exactly, her ex fiancé, or still fiancé, husband, I've got no idea, it's Sara, was around fifteen years senior her, you're younger, he was a geek, you're a rainbow, he's emotional unavailable, you're the one who cries first when we watch a movie. You're everything Grissom isn't."  
"If they split it might be my advantage to be me and not like him. When I can meet her?"  
"When she decides to come over."  
"Will you take a few photos of her today?"  
"Why would I?"  
"Memories of the good old times."  
"Sorry, you've to deal with the security video." Sofia blinked at him. Brian saw Sara on the video tape of their security cameras. There were five all over their premises. Four outside, one in the hallway, focusing on the front door. The blonde provided the best possible security and alarm system for her clients, she wanted the same for herself. 

When Sofia arrived at the Malibu Pier she found the brunette with her Golden Retriever at the car park on the left side, Sara enjoying the sunshine, Lucky hiding in the little bit of shade. As soon as the Golden Retriever saw the dark brown Labrador she jumped up and barked.   
"Looks like they missed each other. Hey Lucky, how are you?"  
"Good in ignoring you." Sara said dryly.   
"You don't like to greet me the way your dog greets mine?" Sofia cocked her head.   
"Do you see me as excited as Lucky is?"  
"No, you look quite cool, like always. No wait, there was a soft smile when you saw me. A little sign of happiness."  
"When I saw Happy."  
"So he's not a bad dog anymore?"  
"He's the father of Lucky's puppies."  
"She's pregnant?" The blonde swallowed. A tiny part of her hoped nothing happened, even when she was pretty sure her dog used the time he had to make her a nana. A dog nana. And of course she loved puppies, almost everybody loved puppies, but they came with a lot of responsibility.   
"I think so but to be sure we have to go back to the vet in two weeks. She couldn't tell me for sure if Lucky is pregnant. Put some dollars away, puppies are very expensive. Especially when a new room is needed for the mother."  
"A new room?"  
"Yes, the condo isn't big enough for her and up to twelve puppies."  
"You're more than welcome to come with Lucky over, I've got the space for her and the puppies, you saw my garden."  
"Like I saw how easily a dog can get out of there."  
"Not anymore, the table tennis table is gone and I added another three inches on the fence. My garden is a safe haven. A prison nobody can escape from. The Alcratz of Los Angeles."  
"I won't leave my dog with you, she'll miss me. Even when she doesn't look like it at the moment because she's too busy being over the moon with your dog."  
"Who doesn't jump her anymore."  
"He tried and got told off for it. My baby won't let him get lucky again."  
"He got lucky once. Or twice. Or…we don't want to know. Where will we have lunch?"  
"There's a vegan restaurant down the road."  
"Vegan? Seriously? What happened to Sara the vegetarian? You ate my cheesecake, it wasn't a vegan one."  
"I'm not a vegan, still a vegetarian and it won't hurt you to eat vegan style. It's a nice change of our daily meals. Did you ever try it?"  
"No. Can we take the dogs with us?"  
"When we sit outside, yes."   
"Okay, leaves and grains for lunch…I bet Happy doesn't want a share of my lunch."  
"Oh, he will, he's a Labrador, he's always hungry."  
"You might be right on this one."

To Sofia's surprise her vegan lunch wasn't as bad as expected and her dog did try to get a big share of it. Like Lucky tried to get Sara's lunch too. After a walk on the beach they went to Sofia's place again. Happy and Lucky took off into the garden, playing.   
"Your dog likes my place."  
"She likes your dog, she doesn't care about the place."  
"Don't tell me my house isn't a nice place."   
"It's not too bad, considering how it looked before. It has this cool attitude…"  
"Hey, do you know where…Miss Sidle?"   
Sara looked up the stairs, surprised to hear her name. "Nico? What are you doing here?"  
"I live here, what about you?"  
"You know each other?" Sofia asked surprised.   
"She's my…was my assistant teacher at University, assisted of Professor Maier. How do you know her?"  
"Maybe it's time for an official introduction, you will see each other more often. At least I hope you will. Nico, that's Sara, my old colleague from Las Vegas, I told you about her and her dog Lucky, who might be pregnant with Happy's children. We met a few days ago, the day when you let Happy inside and he and Lucky made a lot of cute puppies. They're your responsibility too now. Sara, that's Nico, my daughter, who let Happy in the house. She'll be the babysitter."   
The brunette wasn't sure if her ears played a trick on her. Did Sofia really say Nico was her daughter? This had to be a mistake, Sofia Curtis didn't have a daughter. She never mentioned one and Nico was twenty-one, she had not been around when the blonde was in Vegas otherwise Sara had seen her at one point. And if she was Sofia's daughter, that made the blonde a young mother.  
"Your daughter?" The black haired woman was the daughter of the blonde? All right, Sofia died her hair, that wasn't a secret but…it seemed so unreal.   
"Yes, don't you see these stunning blue eyes? She got them from her beautiful mother." Sofia pulled Nico in her arms and kissed her cheek.   
"You never told me you have a daughter."  
"I didn't tell anybody in Vegas. Was Sara a good teacher, Honey?"  
"Very good. Thanks for the points hint last week."  
"You're welcome."  
"Right, you told her how many points she had because your colleague preferred to listen to himself telling stories nobody wanted to hear."  
"I did."  
"A pity you're not my teacher anymore, I liked working with you."  
"Ditto and now I know where you get your smart head from - and the stubbornness."  
"All good qualities are from mom, she said. Sorry to split the happy group, I've to go. Don't wait up on me, it will be late, mom. Nice seeing you, Miss Sidle. Am I right we'll meet more often now?"  
"When our dogs become a family, yes. Have a nice day."  
"You too. Bye."  
"Bye Honey, take care."  
"Always." Nico grinned and left the house.   
"Before you ask me a million questions, why don't we get a coffee and go outside, watch our dogs?" Sofia said before Sara could a word.   
"Sounds good to me."  
"Perfect, you prepare the coffee, the machine is in the kitchen, I need to see the bathroom. In case you need it too, the door next to the entrance is the guest bathroom. Cups are in the cabinet over the coffee machine."  
"Okay." Sara smiled. It almost looked like Sofia vanished to get herself a minute or two to prepare for possible questions. The brunette would do the same if she was in the blonde's shoes. Or deny any answers. Sofia had a daughter! How crazy was this?

"Now you can ask." The blonde put her feet up and leant back in her chair, the cup of coffee in her hands.   
"Ask you what?"  
"About Nico, I can see you have a million questions, I'd have them too if you present me a twenty-one year old daughter out of the blue…you don't have a daughter, do you?"  
"No and before you ask, I also don't have a son."  
"Neither do I. Only a daughter."  
"A very smart one, one of the best we had this year."  
"That's her expectation of herself. She wants to be the best or one of the bests."  
"She won't have a problem with her master if she goes on like this."  
"Don't worry, she will. She wants to be a doctor before she's thirty."  
"I can't see a reason why she shouldn't be able to do that."  
"Me neither. Do you want to know where she has been all the years?"  
"Do you want to tell me?"  
To her surprise Sofia felt like telling Sara the story of Nico. Usually she wasn't that eager to come forward what happened and why Nico wasn't around the first years. Today, with Sara as a listener, she felt like she could tell what happened without being judged afterwards.   
"I got pregnant when I was sixteen, her father and me split up before she was born. My parents weren't happy about my pregnancy, a baby wasn't their plan for me. Nico's father is five years older, he worked at this time, his and my parents decided it's the best for Nico to be with her father. Two years later he got a pretty good job in Los Angeles and moved away. I saw my daughter on her birthdays, on some weekends and when my ex got married she had a whole new family. We always kept in contact and when I decided to move to Los Angeles we finally had the chance to spend more time together."  
"She moved in with her mother."  
"Well, it's not like I was the mother, who told her to stay at home and study or disliked all her boyfriends, I was barely around when she started dating and when I got this house, she fell in love with it. How could she not? A house in Malibu, close to the beach, it's a dream."  
"But your third housemate isn't a relative too?"  
"No, he's a friend of Nico. A friend, not boyfriend. Brian, who thinks you're sexy and wants to date you."  
"A university student wants to date me? Who does he think I am? Misses Robinson?" Sara laughed.   
"He's not a university student, he works and he's older than Nico. They met during an open music session on 2nd Street in Santa Monica. Both like to play guitar, he sings a little bit and they decided to write a few songs together, play them on the Pier to entertain people. Neither Nico nor Brian plan to become a musician."  
"A start. Especially Nico with her talent."   
"What about Dean?"  
"He works too. Why?"  
"That's not what I mean and you know it. Are you and him a couple?"  
"Uhm, no."  
"Because he said something like he'll see you later when he left last week."  
"He's a friend…or my brother. Depends on how you want to look at it."  
"Your brother? You never told me about your brother."  
"Like you never told me about your daughter, the difference is, Dean and me are not related by blood. We lived in the same foster family for a while and met again by accident in Santa Barbara. For reasons unknown we decided it would be fun to live together, he asked his boss to send him to a location in L.A. and now we share my condo. It has two bedrooms and bathrooms, enough space for both of us."  
"He must be special, I imagine you don't move in with anybody."  
"Would you?"  
"No. So we're both not alone anymore at home."  
"We've got our dogs, we're never alone."  
"Right, our dogs, who are tired and lie side by side." Sara smiled when she saw how Lucky shortly licked Happy's ear, like she wanted to kiss her friend, before she dropped her head next to him.   
"If they start holding paws I'm not surprised anymore. If Lucky is pregnant she's not mad at Happy, she is very happy. We need to find other words for happy and lucky for the name's of the puppies. Other English words or in other languages?"  
"We don't keep them. Don't tell me you plan to keep ten or twelve puppies."  
"My heart says: I do."  
"This is not a wedding, ask your head."  
"Your head should say the same at a wedding, otherwise the marriage won't last long. No, my head says I can keep one, that's it. One puppy, it will be the last time Happy becomes a father. We have the pet appointment, soon your boyfriend is caponized, Lucky."  
"She won't mind, as soon as it's possible she'll be spayed."   
"Will you keep one puppy too?"  
"Maybe. I feel kind of guilty there are so many dog already around, in shelters, on the street, we don't need more dogs, we need more people, who wants dog. What if nobody wants the puppies?"  
"Golden Retriever Labrador puppies? They're advertisement dogs, people see them, fall in love with them. It shouldn't be a problem to sell them. Which won't solve the problem with the full shelters."  
"No. Where did you get Happy from?"  
"When I came to Malibu I met a woman on the beach with her pregnant dog. A really nice Labrador, it played with other dogs, children, didn't chase a cat we saw, I thought it's a good sign the mother this is calm and friendly and decided I want one of the puppies. Happy likes children and other dogs, but he chases seagulls and cats. His father must be the chaser. How did you get Lucky?"  
"While I traveled I came across a farm, where Lucky's mother lived. She had ten puppies and the people were given them away for free. Don't ask me why, you can make some really good money with pure Golden Retriever puppies, all they cared for was the puppies come to good hands. It's what I want for Lucky's puppies too."  
"We'll check the new owner."  
"How? Do you have some friends with the LAPD, who will check on the new owner for us? Or can you do it yourself?"  
"We'll ask them questions, we know how to ask the right questions, it has been part of our jobs for many years. Plus we have a pretty good gut feeling."  
"Do you check on people for your job?"  
"I can run a basic security test on the employees of my client, nothing else. The company I work for is a private company, so no government privileges are available."  
"They must pay you pretty good money, you work only ten hours a week."  
"Ten hours here is the same money I got in Vegas full time. When I work overtime I get a nice bonus, yes, the money is much better. Does the university pay you better than the city of Las Vegas?"  
"No night shifts, no overtime, no dead people, no guns, same hours, same money. To me it's a better deal."  
"How did you get the job?"  
"I applied for it. My marks were pretty good, I've got no teaching experience, it's why I'm an assistant of a professor, but most times I work alone, only for the projects and tests we are together with the students. Your daughter was in two of my groups, in each group she was the best."  
"Go figure." Sofia grinned. She expected nothing else from Nico.   
"She could go to Berkley or Harvard, what keeps her in Los Angeles?"  
"Her family and friends. Her parents are here, so is her stepmother, her step siblings and her friends. She has a nice job in a company, makes good money for a student, lives in Malibu and is top of her class, why risk that?"  
"More competition, more challenges. She has your DNA, she likes challenges."  
"Like she likes being top of the list and still having some time for herself. Nico isn't a geek, she likes parties. You can't study when you out all night."  
"Now this part sounds like her mother too." Sara laughed.   
"Actually it's her father. He loves to go out almost every night, comes with his job, he's an event manager. Besides, she has to stay with her mother, we've been apart long enough, don't put any ideas in the head of my baby."  
"Your baby is twenty-one, she can vote, drink, drive and do whatever she wants."  
"You're not a mother, for a mother the daughter is always the baby and has to stay close. For nineteen years I barely saw her, missed so many things, I want to be with her all the time, make up for the past."  
"Do you invite yourself to her parties?"  
"Of course not!"   
"Hah, you want to go there and hope every time she goes out, she asks you to join." The brunette smirked.   
"We talk again when you're a mother."  
"Won't happen, I'll be a dog nana, that's enough baby in my life. You'll be a great mommy, right Lucky?" Her dog got up and walked to Sara, putting her head on the brunette's lap, asking for some love and attention. When the brunette started to pet her dog's back, a quiet happy whine escaped Lucky's snout. This was what a dog wanted, needed. Love, attention and the hands of her owner all over her. 

V

Sofia realized she hadn't been at Sara's place when she opened the door for the brunette, who had been over a few times the last weeks. From what Sara told her about her Condo it was big enough for two adults but the dogs were better off in the garden of the blonde. Being pushed away by her own dog, losing her balance the blonde found herself on the ground, the happy waggling tail of her Labrador in her face, slapping her face.   
"Hey, keep it down, will you?"   
"Down? The only one who is down, is you." Sara grinned and offered Sofia her hand.   
"Thanks. Happy, I'm glad you're over the moon to see Lucky, but you don't have to attack me. She comes in, you can play with her in the garden."  
"He's still in love with her. Lucky isn't in heat anymore."  
"Doesn't change the fact she's a beautiful dog and likes Happy. Look how she kisses him."  
"She licks his snout."  
"That's their way of kissing, we're watching our dogs French-kissing."  
"When you say it like this it sounds gross. Come on Lucky, get inside, go into the garden. Away from the front door before you guys decide to take off on the road. Go!" Her dog bopped her head into Happy's belly and ran into the house, the brown Labrador following her. A loud BANG told the women a chair was in the way of the dogs and fell on their way into the garden. 

"Tell me, how pregnant is Lucky?" Sofia hated it when Sara let her wait on purpose. The brunette knew exactly she wanted to know what the vet said, wanted to know how many puppies were inside Lucky, if there were some at all. They saw a lot of evidence of a pregnancy, but what you see and what was real, were sometimes another pair of shoes.   
"I had no idea there are different kinds of pregnancy. You're either pregnant or you're not. A little bit pregnant isn't possible."  
"You know what I mean. Is she pregnant?"  
"Yes, Happy will be a daddy."  
"Wow, you heard that, Honey? You'll be a daddy!" Sofia got off her chair, walked to her dog and hugged him. "We'll have a lot of puppies around, a lot of cute little Happies. Oh, in a few weeks this garden might be filled with your babies, isn't that exciting?" Happy licked her face, waggling his tail, almost climbing on her lap.   
"One happy grandmother with her daddy-to-be son."  
"So great, I love puppies and I'm sure they'll be gorgeous. Happy and Lucky are so cute together, they look like a couple in love. Go and kiss your wife, Honey."  
"Wife? You're nuts." Sara laughed. "They're dogs and not your son, who will get married with his girlfriend. This is not Nico."  
"Very funny, I wouldn't be this happy if Nico is pregnant."  
"How comes?"  
"She has plans, wants to go to university a little bit longer, a child would make it very, very difficult. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. Although I could take care of my grandchild while she goes to university. Puppies and a grandchild? So many babies around, I like this idea too…no, no, Nico should get her bachelor and travel the world before she settles down. Luckily she never mentioned she wants to be a young mother."  
"Did you? Before you were pregnant?"  
"No." The blonde sighed. "I had other plans."  
"And sex, that destroyed the plans."  
"Unprotected sex, yes. Sometimes is passion stronger than sensibility and sometimes you have to pay a price for not thinking."  
"What kind of price is Nico?"  
"Jackpot. Definitely. She's a wonderful daughter and I love every day we spend together. Her being twenty-one it's amazing she wants to spend time with me. Most women this age want to be away from their mother."  
"She has been away from her mother long enough, now it's time to spend time with her."  
"Yeah, mommy loves that. She'll be here soon, ready to have a barbecue with us."  
"Barbecue?"  
"Sure, she gets sausages, steaks and vegetarian stuff. Even vegan. We'll have an early baby shower party."  
"You're really crazy." Sara shook her head.   
"I'm in love with our dog's babies. How many are there? Did the vet tell you?"  
"Ten."  
"Really? Ten puppies? Oh and I've to pick one? How is that possible. How am I supposed to choose one when there're ten? Does it mean I reject nine? Don't like them? It's like having a favorite child."  
"You do have a favorite child, me." Nico came into the garden. "Hey Miss Sidle."  
"Hello Nico, how are you?"  
"Fine and in time to remind my mother I'm her favorite child. Only child. I am your only child, am I not, mother?"  
"Of course, what do you think? You're my one and only." Sofia pulled Nico in her arms. "I missed you, baby."  
"Mom, I was away for two hours, don't be ridiculous."  
"It's called love, Honey."   
"No, it's embarrassing. Miss Sidle used to be my teacher."  
"She's not anymore and she understands."  
"Do you have children?" Nico asked Sara.   
"No, I don't and I don't understand why parents start talking a baby when they see their children, it has always been a mystery for me. Sofia should be not such an über-mother."  
"Über-mother? There's the old Sara again, the one I never missed. Why didn't you leave her in Vegas?"  
"She likes L.A., the weather is nice."   
"Is there an interesting story about the two of you?" Nico sat down and cuddled Happy.   
"No! I get us some drinks, you can start the barbecue, daughter."  
"There is a story." Nico frolicked and went to the barbecue. "Care to share, Miss Sidle?"  
"No."  
"Oh, come on, you leave out the bad part, only tell me what my mom did."  
"No."  
"Why not?"  
"None of your business."  
"Did she hit on your boyfriend?"  
Sara stopped and looked at Nico. "Why would you say that?"  
"She did? Oh my god! That's embarrassing too! My mother hit on the boyfriend of my ex teacher. This is the first time I'm glad I don't see you at university anymore."  
"Just because you're not in my courses anymore it doesn't mean we won't see each other anymore. You'll get your master in science, we'll be in the same buildings and meet here, there are two dogs in love, a pregnant bitch, soon there'll be a ten puppies."  
"Ten puppies? Really? Cool! I want one! Please!"   
"Your mother will keep one."  
"Then we'll have two."  
"Sofia had a plan of you becoming a mother a few minutes ago, now you want to be a dog mother, I'm not sure she wanted it that way."  
"My mother wants me to become a mother? Seriously?"  
"I think she likes the idea of being a grandmother, a young one, having the chance to play with the child at the beach. Then she's afraid you can't get your master, travel the world."  
"Well, my plan is the master, a doctor title, earning a lot of money and then take a year off and see the world. No baby until I'm thirty. Did you ever want children?"  
"No, never."   
"How come?"  
"I'm much better with dogs."  
"Mhm." Nico looked at thoughtful Sara. "I've no idea how you are with kids, with us students you're great. It's a shame you can't get me to the master. You do have a master in science, don't you?"  
"Yes."  
"So you could teach master students."  
"No, I'm not a teacher, I'm a scientist."  
"You're a better teacher than Professor Maier is and he studied to be a teacher. Take the compliment, Miss Sidle."  
"She's bad in taking compliments, like she doesn't know how great she is." Sofia came out again, a few beers in her hand and a bucket with ice and more bottles in the other. "Don't waste your time on her, trying to make her do or say something she doesn't want, she's way too stubborn to give in."  
"Sounds like you, mother." Nico took one of the beer bottles. "I let you talk for a while and go upstairs, call Brian, see when he comes over. Try to get her into changing to the master's degree classes, will you?"  
"I can try but the way I know Sara she won't let anybody change her mind." Sofia blinked at her old colleague. She knew better than trying to talk Sara into something, the brunette didn't want. 

"You could have invited Dean too." Sofia said after Nico and Brian were inside and they were alone in the garden with two snoring dogs.   
"He's at work."  
"This late?"  
"Until midnight. He works in a gay porn shop, they're open until late."  
"A gay porn shop? Okay, interesting."  
"There are some interesting thing in the shop, yes." Sara grinned.   
"You were there?"  
"A couple of times, he's my brother so I visit him sometimes at work. Have you never picked up Nico at university or at her work place?"  
"Sometimes."  
"See, nothing different with a gay porn shop or are you having a problem with these shops? Or with gay people? Because then Los Angeles isn't the right city for you."  
"Uhm, my housemate was stuck in a female body and changed sex, I think I'm more than open-minded. Why would I mind a gay porn shop?"  
"How would you react if Nico works in a gay porn shop? Comes home with a girlfriend?"  
"Whatever makes her happy but I want to be a grandmother one day. Of at least two."  
"Does Nico know?"  
"It's not the time to let her know, like I said, I want her to get her master and travel. A grandmother by fifty is cool too. Mom said it gave her wrinkles to become a grandmother this early. Why didn't you want children? Or do you want children now?"  
"Sofia, I'm almost forty, I'm too old for children. Puppies are enough."   
"Is there a special man in your life?"  
"Dean."  
"Besides your gay brother."  
"Who said he's gay? He works in a gay porn shop, they don't require you to be gay for that."  
"Okay, besides your brother, is there somebody?"  
"Since when is my private or sex life your business?"  
"Friends do share."  
"Your dog humping my dog doesn't make us friends, it makes us being stuck with the same problem, ten puppies."  
"Sara, I know you for over six years, we worked together, we've been through a couple of rough times, if you don't want to call us friends, fine, call it as you want, the days we spent together the last weeks showed we can be together at the same place without fighting and our conversations were very friendly. There's no reason to…"  
"Shut up! Please, just shut up!" Sara covered her ears.   
"What? We're having a great time, our dogs love each other, we…"  
"Okay, okay, we're friends. Just shut up. Women, you're such a pain in the ass."  
"Honey, you do have a nice ass…"  
"Don't continue, just shut up."  
"Oh, look at you, blushing. Has never ever told you before you've got a nice ass?"  
"My ass and whatever people might have said or not said about it, is none of your business. You go on like this and you won't see the puppies at all."  
"What? You can't do this."  
"Of course I can. Lucky and me stay away, you'll never see us again."  
"You wouldn't do that." Sofia handed Sara another beer. She had to be careful, the beers she drank, the alcohol, it got her into a play mood, which could upset Sara. The brunette wasn't an easy person, when she said something wrong, it could be Sara withdraw and their fragile friendship was damaged.   
"Don't be too sure."  
"Your dog loves my dog as much as the other way around, if we like it or not, they're like a couple and it can't have anything to do with being in heat, Lucky isn't anymore, she's pregnant and still wants to be around Happy. I'm sure dogs have sympathy to special other dogs, like they don't get along every dog."  
"Lucky doesn't like poodles, whenever one gets close to her, no matter if it's a male or female, she snarls. I've no idea why, it's not like she ever got attacked by one, but she doesn't like them."  
"Happy isn't fond of dogs bigger than him, he tries to avoid them and if that's not possible he snarls too, tries to make himself bigger. The neighbors of his former owner had a mastiff, who wasn't nice to the puppies when he got close to them. I think it's like with people, we also don't like everybody, there's a certain type of people we despise, after we had some bad experience with them in the past. Whenever I see a small build woman with black hair and a certain face symmetry I get angry. She reminds me of my former history teacher, who always blamed me for everything, gave me bad marks when she had a chance to and put me down. If she ever walks over the street and I see her, I'll mistake the accelerator for the brakes."  
"How could she give you bad marks? A right answer is a right answer."  
"Yeah, in tests she had no other choice than give me a good mark because I knew all answers, but when it came to the marks for working in the class, she gave me bad ones. Little cunt, just because I never told her how great she looked, what for a gorgeous dress she wears."  
"A real nightmare teacher."  
"Absolutely."  
"My teachers were quite nice, but I had the nightmares at home. School was my safe haven."  
"Sara…you never talked much about your childhood and if you don't want now it's fine…"  
"I don't."  
"Okay. I accept your limit."  
"Thanks. I think it's time for Lucky and me to get home. Dean should be back from work soon and can pick us up."   
"You can stay here."   
"Let my brother do something for me."   
"Okay." Sofia saw no point in Sara calling Dean and let him come to Malibu to pick her and Lucky up, but if that was Sara's wish…she had to accept.   
"He'll be here in twenty minutes. Let me help you clean up"  
"You don't have to."  
"No, I don't but I will. A good guest helps." The brunette smiled and got up. She never expected her guests to help her, if they offered their help anyway it was always appreciated and made her happy. 

"How was your evening with Sofia?" Dean asked when they were back home.   
"Pretty good, we had a few beers, a barbecue, watched the dogs and talked a little bit. Her housemates were there too. Or her housemate and her daughter, I can't see Nico as an ordinary housemate of Sofia. It's so crazy, she never told me about her daughter when we were in Vegas."  
"Did you tell her everything about your past?"  
"No."  
"See."  
"I leave out the bad things, Nico isn't a bad thing, she's an amazing young woman, very smart."  
"The way you talk about her she must be."  
"You're invited to join us the next time."  
"I might do that. How is the pregnant dog?"  
"Fine, she enjoyed her time with Happy and Sofia wants a puppy."  
"No surprise, so you do. We."  
"Yeah. Do you think we should move to another place? A house with a garden for the dogs to play."  
"We can have a look for houses, if we find something we like and can afford, we can buy it. I mean, one day you might fall in love again, have your boyfriend over I'm in your way. A two story house, one for you, one for me would be great - and very expensive. We might need extra jobs."  
"Not to forget your future sweetheart, who might wants to be with you." Sara answered back dryly. "Nite nite, don't let the bedbugs bite."  
"Good night big sis." He hugged and kissed her cheek. "Love you."  
"Love you too." She savored having him close, knowing he was here and wouldn't leave her. She had a little family and he was her brother, no matter what DNA said.   
With Lucky by her side she went into her bedroom after she was done in the bathroom. Time to go to bed, time to think about what happened today. Lucky jumped on her bed and made herself comfortable. In a few weeks she'd to sleep somewhere else, somewhere she could give birth to her puppies.   
Sofia offered her garden, it was a good idea, there was a lot of space for them. Lucky and her puppies, ten puppies, needed a lot of space and it was impossible to keep them in her condo and it wasn't likely Dean and she found a new place and moved until then. Two months. A dog was pregnant for two months, Lucky was already five weeks pregnant. To find an affordable house in Los Angeles, in a nice area, with a garden, was like looking for a needle in a haystack.   
Her former colleague did find a great house, had to work a lot in and around it, but it paid off. It was a nice house, a mind-blowing area, an one in a million lucky strike. Sometimes you found the one in a million thing. Or person. How were the odds her bitch in heat attracts Sofia's dogs from all other dogs in Los Angeles. Or that the dog of Sofia freed himself and ran to Lucky.   
Somebody guided Happy to Lucky and therefore Sofia to Sara. Why? She never believed in coincidence, god, or a higher power guiding her through life, but how could it happen the blonde and her met again? Here. In another city, without knowing the other one was here too. And they almost came here around the same time. To add just another unbelievable point to this list, she used to teach Sofia's daughter at university. Nico, a smart woman, a lot Sara imagined Sofia was at her age.   
Sofia. It was good to see the blonde again, see her almost every day. The more she saw her, the more felt…felt like there was something between them, a bond or something. She looked forward to see her again soon. When she offered her to stay with her the night…Sara wanted to accept the offer, wanted stay, but then she got scared. Without really knowing what scared her. It wasn't like the blonde threatened her, she offered her a place to sleep so she didn't have to call her brother, go home. What was wrong with her?   
And why hadn't she invited Sofia over to her place? Why did she try to keep her home a secret? Wasn't she over the hide and seek games? Over keeping her life to herself, shutting other people out. It wasn't like the blonde tried to interfere with her life, tried to force her into anything. So what made or makes her withdraw? She hated it when she couldn't get explanations from herself. When her own behavior made her wonder what it was good for. Or did she know and didn't want to admit to it?   
Why did her life have to be this complicated all the time? 

VI

The first time she read the text message Sofia wasn't sure if she read the words correctly and then she checked if the message really was from Sara. The number said so and who else would invite her and Happy over to see Lucky? Sara Sidle invited her over to her place in Santa Monica.   
"Don't get too drunk and call me when you need me to pick you up." Nico bent over and kissed her mother. "If you go out, don't talk to stranger, don't go home with strangers, be a lady, act like one and remember…"  
"Honey, I'm the mother, you're the daughter, these are the words I have to say to you and not the other way around."  
"Somebody has to take care of you."  
"I'm old enough to look after myself."  
"The Captain says something else. She called last night and we talked for an hour or so. My order is to look after you, grandma doesn't believe you can do it yourself."  
"You shouldn't talk too much with your grandmother, she's not a good influence."  
"While Sara is a good influence for you. A very good one."  
"Is she? Why's that?"  
"You smile more, you're more relaxed, you look forward seeing her. She does bring some clouds from Las Vegas to your lovely blue sky, but you pushed them away with good memories of your past and a lot of sunshine of the present. Tell me about one of these happy moments." Nico leant back, watched her mother.   
"A happy moment? We worked law enforcement, there weren't many happy moments. Some funny…we had a case of a dead former rock star, Sara and me went to see the ex wife, she was a person of interest, asked for her alibi and learnt that our DB not only had left her for the babysitter, he also slept with the new babysitter."  
"And why is there a cloud in your blue eyes when you tell me the funny story, mom?"  
Sofia sighed. "You're a very talented observer, Nico, sometimes it can be scary. The cloud is there because the person who killed the rock star, wasn't one of the women in his life, it was a serial killer, who abducted and almost killed Sara a few months later. She buried her under a car in the desert, while there was a huge rain and thunderstorm and Sara almost drowned. Somehow she freed herself, left the car wreck and when the rain was gone the sun and heat came back. You know Vegas, you know the desert, we found her on the ground, dehydrated with barely a pulse. It was hard seeing her on the ground and…it was the last case I worked with her."  
"Why?"  
"She changed shifts, I got promoted to lieutenant and dayshift before I left to Los Angeles. Sara's case was the last straw, the reason I left the police force a few weeks later. At one point you have enough crime and violence in your life and you can't take more."  
"Grandma isn't happy about it."  
"No, she wanted me to become a captain, being a security and alarm expert isn't what she planned for me."  
"She planned for me to become a cop, when I told her I want to go to university and not to police academy her face wasn't happy. You, on the other hand, never said I have to become a cop."  
"You're supposed to be whatever you want to be, Nico. If you want to be a scientist, I'm happy about it, if you change your mind and want to be an astronaut, I'll support you too. It's your life, you make the decisions, nobody else."  
"I love you mom."  
"I love you too. Now, you go and have fun at the movies."  
"Always. Enjoy your time with Sara, say hello to her."  
"Will do. Not too much nachos and popcorn. They make too much noise when you eat them and other people can't concentrate on the movie, it annoys them."  
"Yeah, sure grandma. Out of my car!"   
Sofia grinned, got out of the car and opened the backdoor for Happy and waved at Nico when she drove away. So this was where Sara lived. In an apartment complex on a hill, she could see the ocean from here, it was a nice place, not too upscale.   
A doorman asked for her ID and checked if her name was written down on the visitor list, he got from the tenants today. When he found her name, he smiled and sent her to the elevator and the forth floor. Instead of looking for the right number on the doors, all she had to do was follow Happy, who pulled her in the right direction, straight to Lucky.   
"You must be so in love, man. Do me a favor and don't bark or whine when we're at her door. Have some dignity, the women run after the men, not the other way around."  
Her dog ignored her and stopped in front of door 403, trying to push the door open with his paw.   
"Wow, stop it, we use the bell, it will get us where we want to be." The blonde rang the doorbell and pulled her dog back a little bit before he could put scratches on the door.   
"Hey, wow, hey Lucky, stay back, Happy comes inside." Sara pushed the Golden Retriever back into the condo. "Come on in, let Happy run free so they can go, make a mess in the living room and we can have a coffee."  
"Good idea." Sofia let Happy free and he and Lucky took off into the condo. "He smelled her, I didn't have to look for the right number. How is she doing?"  
"After she didn't eat much last week, had morning sickness, she's back to being hungry and wanting more food than before."  
"She has to eat for eleven now, means, she needs eleven times more food. Oh, I want to be pregnant again, it was the only time when I could eat as much chocolate as I wanted without feeling guilty. Such a great excuse to overeat myself."  
"You want to get pregnant again? Did I miss something? Who'll be the father?"  
"Sara, this is Los Angeles, you don't need a man to get pregnant, you go to a sperm bank, choose a donor and get pregnant. So easy and I could continue to work, it's not like I'm doing a physical demanding job. Don't you to tell me I'm too old for another child."  
"I'd never do that." Sara smiled and opened the door to the balcony.   
"Wow, nice balcony." Five by five yards, small palm trees, for chairs and a table in the middle, a barbecue in the left corner.   
"The reason why I wanted this condo. I thought about getting everything off it and let Lucky have her puppies here. The banister is high enough, they should be safe."  
"Puppies on the balcony? On the forth floor? No way. They do climb, after a few weeks. It's too dangerous. My garden is a much better idea."  
"I won't leave my dog for twelve weeks." The brunette opened a box and got potato salad out of it, put it on Sofia's plate. "Can you live without meat for one night?"  
"Without a problem. Hey Lucky, let me feel your belly." The blonde bent over to pet the Golden Retriever when she and the Labrador came along, lured by by the food on the table. "I don't feel any difference."  
"Give it some time."  
"Two months. To get back to your fear of leaving Lucky alone, you can stay with us."  
"Where? Your three bedrooms are occupied."  
"The office. We get you a bed in there, you'll be next to your dog and the puppies."  
"Three months in your office?"  
"Hey, it will be nice room, all for yourself. Not like the Hilton, but it's a nice room and you won't be disturbed in there. Think about it, you don't have to answer now or tomorrow. We have another month before Lucky gives birth, until then she stays here anyway."  
"Us camping out three months in your office? Don't you need your office for your work?"  
"The stuff I need I can put into my room and the living room. Think about it. Or would Dean have a problem with that?"  
"He's old enough to be on his own for a while, he lived alone in Santa Barbara. I think about it. Would you like some ice cream?"  
"This is the nicest way to change topics I ever experienced. Of course I want ice cream, who doesn't?"  
"Don't know."  
"Sara?"  
"Yeah?"  
"It's a straight way we met, but I'm happy our dogs found each other so we could meet too. I never planned Happy to be a father, him having puppies with Lucky is great It makes me feel like we're kind of related and won't lose contact again."  
"Happy's and Lucky's puppies aren't a guarantee for us to stay in contact, it doesn't mean we're a family." The brunette started, coldly voice, making the blonde feel stupid and weak, like she was about to lose her balance. "Don't look like a child, whose lollypop was stolen. I didn't say I don't want any contact after the puppies are sold, I'm saying we can be friends, no matter if there are puppies or not. I didn't ask you to come over because of the dogs, I asked you over because I enjoy spending time with you. Puppies or not, if we had met here, I can't see a reason why we wouldn't have the same relationship we have right now."  
"Seriously?"  
"Oh for god's sake, why would I lie?" Sara got up and pulled Sofia in her arms. "Stop being so full of disbelieve. If I didn't like you I wouldn't be here with you, you would have never found out where I live. So, calm down, relax and stop being jumpy."  
"You ran away once."  
"If I'm not mistaken - and I'm rarely mistaken - you left first. Detective Curtis left to become a lieutenant on another shift before she left the city. You ran before I did, you never told me where you go and you never called to say where you are. Yes, I did have your number and didn't call, the same thing goes for you. Makes us even."  
"As usual you're right." Sofia hold on the Sara, savoring having the brunette in her arms. Sara said she wanted to stay in contact, had stayed in contact without the dogs. These were very good news. "Reminds me of my daughter, she's also always right."  
"Inherit from her grandmother?" Sara chuckled.   
"Probably. Can't be her easy going mother."  
"No, her mother can admit when she's wrong."  
"But she 's never wrong."   
"Well, I'm pretty smart."  
"Smug."  
"Likeable."  
"Arrogant."  
"Trustful."  
"Clinging."  
"Nice enough to be invited to your place. Sara, you told me a couple of sentence ago you like me, there's no point in trying to say you don't like me with lies I don't believe. Now, why don't we go on like adults? Got some nice juice to pimp up the ice cream?"  
"You want to get drunk by eating ice cream?"  
"Yes. My daughter told me to have fun…and not to get drunk. Well, when my mother told me the same I didn't listen, why would I listen now?"  
"You don't want to disappoint your daughter."  
"If she picks me up later and I'm sober she'll be disappointed. Get us the nice juice, I want to drown my ice cream in Bailey or other things."  
"Only ice cream? No sorrow?"  
"How can there be sorrows when I spend the night with you?"  
"The evening, not the night, it's not a sex date." Sara smirked, got up and went into the living room to get the alcohol.   
Sofia took a deep breath. This was…not the old Sara, not the Las Vegas Sara. The Los Angeles Sara was more fun and she…she told her, she liked her. And made fun with her. The evening only started and it started in a good way. 

"Didn't your daughter tell you not to get drunk?" Sara asked after Sofia had her fifth scotch and second beer.   
"Did she say I'm not supposed to get drunk or not too drunk?" The blonde wondered. "Can't remember but it doesn't matter, I'm the mother, she has to do what I say and not the other way around."  
"She picks you up, not the other way around. Your relationship is unusual. Did she visit you in Las Vegas?"  
"Of course."  
"How comes I never saw you with her?"  
"How often did you see me outside work?" The blonde cocked her head.   
"Never."  
"See. Nico came over at least once a month, we rode every carousel in the city, went to every show she wanted to see. There had never been a fight between her father and me, we shared custody, we made sure Nico knew we love her, no matter if we lived in different cities. She's my little baby and she knows it."  
"You lavished her with presents, didn't you?"  
"Maybe. Most of my money was spent on her and I didn't regret a single cent. Would you?"  
"Sofia, she's one of the best students I saw in the two years I worked at the university, you did everything right." Sara opened a bag of chips. "What is more important, she's a great young woman, you have every reason to be proud of her."  
"Thanks. Can I ask you something personal?"  
"You can but I don't promise an answer."  
"Fair enough. What about Grissom?"  
"As far as I know he teaches in London now."  
"We never knew you and him were together until he mentioned it when we were looking for you. Why didn't you guys not tell anybody?"  
"Well, it's not a secret when everybody knows it, is it?"  
"No. Did you keep it a secret so you could stay on the same shift?"  
"We kept our relationship to ourselves because it was nobody else's business and because none of us wanted to change shifts. I did it after everybody knew about Grissom and it wasn't good. I missed my shift, the night shift is special."  
"Why did you break up?"  
"He wanted to stay in Vegas, I had to leave, he didn't come with me, when he decided to follow me it was too late. I decided my life is better without him, that he had his chances. At one point you have to draw a line."  
"I bet it wasn't an easy decision."  
"No. Like it wasn't an easy decision to let Nico go with her father. A hard decision doesn't have to be the wrong one."  
"Anybody new in your life?"  
"In my job I meet a lot of people, every semester new ones."  
"Okay." Sofia laughed. "None of my business, I understand. There isn't somebody new in my life."  
"Not that I asked."  
"Oh, you didn't but I know you wants to know."  
"Has there ever been somebody after Nico's father?"  
"A couple guys, nobody special enough to become a new daddy for my baby. Just because you didn't see me with somebody it didn't mean there wasn't somebody."  
"Really? I think Nico made that obvious. Although, your housemate is quite cute, I'm not convinced there's nothing going between the two of you. A young lover, nothing unusual in Los Angeles."  
"No, Brian is a friend."  
"Does he and Nico ever have a relationship?"  
"No, they're just friends. Unfortunately. He's a great guy, I wish they were a couple."  
"He was a she before, wasn't he?"  
"Does it matter?" Sofia's voice was more defensive than she wanted it to sound. For reasons unknown she became defensive whenever somebody talked about Brian being a woman a few years ago, assuming the other person had a problem with it. It took her a long time before she stayed relaxed when Edmond talked about her housemate.   
"Wow, down Blondie, I never said it's wrong or a problem."  
"Sorry, a lot of people judge him for it."  
"Why would I judge him for a sex change? If he was born in the wrong body it's not his fault. Nature does make mistakes and if he fixed it, it's good. He's a handsome guy, you want him as the boyfriend of your daughter, he must be great."  
"He is. And he thinks you're cute. Do you want a younger boyfriend?"  
"No."  
"Oh, you'll break his heart. Why don't you want to go out with him? A nice movie, dinner. He's a vegan, he knows the best restaurants and he's into nature stuff. You like nature too."  
"Why do you try to set me up with him?"  
"I want you both happy."  
"Who said I'm not happy?"  
"Are you?"  
"Yes. Are you unhappy because you're a single?"  
"No, I'm very happy since I'm in Los Angeles. Sometimes I think I should have come here earlier, what kind of mother am I to leave my daughter alone for nineteen years?"  
"A mother who knew her daughter was fine with her father, who visited her daughter regular, took her over to her own place and made sure, her daughter knows how much her mother loves her. I'd say you're a pretty good mother, Sofia. I wished I had a mother like you when I was in foster care."  
"Seriously?" The blonde didn't know what to do or think. Probably this was the most wonderful compliment she ever got.   
"Yes."  
"I think this is the nicest thing you ever said to me, anybody ever said to me."  
"Don't start crying."  
"I won't if you hug me."  
"Blackmailing." Sara got up and pulled Sofia in her arms, both swaying a little bit. "You are an amazing woman, Sofia and I'm sure Nico knows you're the best mother on earth."  
"Thanks."  
"You don't have to thank me for the truth. How about another beer?"  
"It's nearly one o'clock, I should call Nico, she will be tired too."  
"Or long asleep."  
"No, she went out with some friends, if she went back home to bed, she had sent me a message so I can call a cab." The blonde took her cell phone and dialed Nico's number. "Hey sweetheart, if you're done celebrating you can come and pick me up."  
Sara noticed the special smile on Sofia's face when the other woman talked to her daughter, heard her voice. Filled with love. She wondered how it would be if she had a child. No matter how old, would she be a good mother? Take care of her child, make her or him happy. Or was she like her own parents? Not able of caring somebody else. But if so, she couldn't care for Lucky and she did pretty good with her.   
"Are you dreaming of somebody?" Sofia's voice got her out of her dreams.   
"No, just silly dreaming. Will Nico pick you up or is she drunk?"  
"My daughter doesn't drink when she promises to pick me up. She'll be here soon. When does Dean come home?"  
"The club is open until five, so he might come back around six or not at all when he got lucky."  
"As lucky as Lucky got?"  
"I doubt Dean comes home pregnant."  
"Well….no…no, you're right." Sofia chuckled. "Your pregnant bitch looks very comfortable next to my dog. I feel bad to have them separated soon."  
"For a few hours."  
"Are we going to see each other tomorrow? I had no idea we have an appointment."  
"Of course, we have to prepare your garden for the puppies. They need a nice place, where they are warm, have shade, can't escape and play without getting hurt."  
"The puppies will be with me?   
"You know my condo, you see it's not the perfect place for them and we want the perfect place for our puppies, don't we?"  
"Absolutely! Does that also mean you and Lucky stay over?"  
"The puppies can't be without their mother and their mother can't be without her owner."  
"Yes." Sofia clenched her fist like she won a competition.   
"Don't make me change my mind."  
"Sorry, that was my happiness." Her cell phone rang. "My daughter is calling."  
"I see you tomorrow around lunch?"  
"Sounds good, we can have a barbecue. Bring Dean if he wants."  
"Okay, I ask him. Say hi to Nico."  
"I will. Come on Happy, time to go home." Sofia hugged Sara and was surprised when the brunette kissed her on the cheek. Slowly Happy rose, looked back at Lucky, who was also about to get up.   
"You stay here with me, Lucky. We go and see Happy tomorrow."  
"We both look forward to see the two of you."   
"Ditto." Sara smiled. "Make sure Nico gets you home safe."  
"She's a good driver, don't worry. Night puppy nana."  
"Good night second puppy nana." Sara waited until Sofia and Happy disappeared in the elevator. It was weird watch her leave and feel like her condo was too empty. Why did her place feel like it was complete with the blonde? For all those years her condo had been perfect, a place she felt good. How was it possible it was incomplete without Sofia? 

VII

"She told you to invite me?" Dean asked when Sara got ready to leave.   
"Yes."  
"And she has a cute housemate?"  
"Yes."  
"We'll have a barbecue?"  
"Yes. Stop asking me things you already know. Get your lazy ass up and join me or stop annoying me."  
"She's pretty sexy - for a woman."  
"Since when are women sexy?"  
"Since we met Sofia on the beach. You have to admit, she has a great body and you meet her a lot, means her personality must be good too. If she was a man…I'd so screw her brains out tonight."  
"Suddenly I feel sick." Sara held her stomach.   
"Why? Does sex between men make you sick? I had no idea you're old-fashioned, sis. Until today you mentioned this."  
"Move or stay, stop talking about sex, no matter what your decision is. Come on Lucky, time to see Happy." Her Golden Retriever jumped up and was by her side.   
"Wait I'm coming with you. A lunch date with a sexy blonde, very nice." He stopped at the fridge and got a six pack out. "Some cold blondes for the cool blonde. I think I'm in love with Sofia, for being sexy, inviting me to barbecue and her dog getting Lucky pregnant. We'll have puppies, I always wanted puppies in the house. Do you remember how our parents told me off when I appeared with a little puppy at the front door? They forced me to return it, broke my heart."  
"We keep one."  
"Why not two? Remember, we will move to a house, will have space and…"  
"Slow own, first we need the house, then we can get another dog. Two are enough for the condo, we've been through this, Dean."  
"I hate it when you're sensible."   
"I hate it when you're acting like a teenager." Sara unlocked the car, let Lucky jump into the trunk and they got into the car.   
"Am I childish?"  
"No, you're…just yourself."  
"You love me."  
"I do." She rolled her eyes. Dean was enthusiastic, she liked it about him, it made her smile a lot. 

"Welcome to our…okay, go to your husband, Lucky, he's waiting for you in the garden. Hey Sara." Brian opened the door, stepped aside when Lucky pushed herself through the door and him aside.   
"Hello Brian, sorry Lucky forgets her manners when she's close to Happy."  
"Don't worry, Happy got nuts when your car stopped in front of the house. Hi, I'm Brian, you must be Dean."  
"The one and only. Nice house, fits the owner."  
"It's not like I'm the owner."  
"No, the sexy blonde is. Where is she?"  
"In the garden, starting the barbecue."   
"What a great woman. Excuse me, I have to see her."  
"Help yourself." Brian stepped aside. "Sara? Do you want to come in?"  
"Sure, if we don't get into the way of Lucky and Happy or Sofia and Dean."  
"Well, we could leave them alone and have a nice day by ourselves. I know a pretty nice restaurant on the beach, vegetarian and vegan style. Much better than a barbecue afternoon."  
"Sounds like a treat, but we have to prepare the garden for the puppies."  
"Maybe next time."  
"You never know."  
"I take that as a yes, we'll have a date."   
"No wonder you live with Sofia, just as smug as she is."  
"But I look better, I hope."  
"No, you don't." Sara said dryly and went into the house.   
"Hi Miss Sidle, how are you."  
"Hello Nico, I'm fine, how are you?"  
"Pretty good. Do you have a headache? My mom came pretty drunk out of your condo and needed some pain killers before she went to bed."  
"I let her drink all the alcohol."  
"Wise decision. Lucky put on some weight."  
"She'll have a lot of puppies, she has to eat a lot. It's part of the pregnancy."  
"I know nothing about that and don't plan to know about it any time soon. Can I get you something to drink?"   
"Water is fine, thanks."  
"I get it. Mom is in the garden."  
"Yeah, my crazy brother is with her, he decided, he's in love with her."  
"And he's crazy because he's in love with my mother? You think she's such a bad pick?"  
"For a gay man? Yes."  
"Oh."  
"Yes, oh. He loves her blonde hair."  
"It's dyed."  
"We know that, he knows it too."  
"Have you ever seen her with brown hair?"  
"No, never."  
"I show you a photo, she looks great with it."  
"Doesn't your mother always look great?"  
"Of course." Nico got a bottle of cold water for Sara out of the fridge. "Here you are."  
"Thanks. Lets see what your mother is doing, shall we?"  
"Smoke on the barbecue."   
Sara grinned and went outside. Lucky and Happy were playing, Lucky moving slower every time as her pregnancy made it more difficult for her to move.   
"Hey Sofia."  
"Why don't you look like you have a hangover?"  
"Because I don't have one."  
"Not fair." Sofia hugged Sara and put her head on the brunette's shoulder. "The next time stop me from drinking more than two whiskeys, will you?"  
"I can do that."  
"Thanks. Am I a bad role model for my daughter?"  
"You amuse her with your hangover, I'm sure Nico is smart enough to know what too much alcohol does to you. Better than her mother."  
"I blame you, it was such a nice evening, way too relaxed. We have to do it again, just with less alcohol."  
"Sounds like a good idea. We can start today, no alcohol at all."  
"Deal."  
"Gosh, you look like an old couple." Brian said.   
"You're only jealous she's in my arms and not in yours." Sofia answered back. "Are you hungry?"  
"A little bit. I brought vegetarian sausages. Want to try one?"  
"Why not? I can't say I don't like it when I haven't tried it."  
"Exactly."  
"Mom, you really want to try tofu? Whenever we offered it to you, you told us a human being is a predator and needs meat."  
"You have to go new ways to broaden your mind, Honey."   
"Really?" Nico chuckled. "Miss Sidle, I'm impressed. You make her eat tofu."  
"She hasn't eaten it yet but when she says she will, I've no doubt she eats it. And why don't you call me Sara? I'm not your assistant teacher anymore and our ways won't cross at university anymore."  
"Okay. Although I still hope you will teach me again. Can you help me with my master?"  
"If you ever have a question you can't answer yourself and your mother doesn't know the answer, you can ask me. But your mother will know all answers, she's very smart."  
"Gosh, I wish she had been like this in Vegas." Sofia grinned.   
"She was mean to you? Bad sister, how could you be mean to such a wonderful lady?"  
"She was very annoying back in the days, like you're sometimes, baby bro. Why don't you make yourself useful and get the fence out of the car? And the wood?"  
"Do I look like one of the bodybuilder guys?"  
"You could if you carry the stuff and workout."  
"No thanks, I'll always be a dancer."  
"Oh come, we're men, we're supposed to carry the heavy stuff." Brian said. "I give you a hand, I like workout and build some muscles. Plus Sofia bought some heavy stuff too. Looks like we'll have to build something today."  
"You do. We all will build a nice house for Lucky and the puppies and a fence. Sara and Lucky will live here with us for three months." It was like a sunrise appeared on Sofia's face when she said these words.   
"Do you want to sleep in my bed?" Brian offered.  
"No, I take the office."  
"What a pity. Maybe I can change your mind. My bed is very comfortable and it's big enough for the two of us."  
"You can carry the heavy stuff."  
"Will it impress you?"  
"No."  
"Ouch, you're a hard case."  
"Brian, stop wasting time, move your ass, it might get sexy this way and carry the stuff inside." Nico said.   
"My ass is already sexy. Very sexy."  
"Sofia's ass is sexier." Dean grinned and got up. "Come on, lets impress the chicks."  
"Chicks? Your brother is cheeky." Sofia put the first steak on the barbecue next to the tofu sausages.   
"He is and he's right."  
"About what?"  
"Oh, nothing." The brunette smirked and got the tofu sausages. Sometimes it was better not to answer a question to exact. This was one of these occasions. 

Two hours later they were in the middle of creating a house for Lucky and her puppies. Two by three yards and two yards high, with two windows (Sofia insisted on windows) and a door. The floor was wood too and would be covered with blankets.   
"We're pretty fast." The blonde stopped and looked at the half ready house.   
"Well, the wood was cut, all we had to do is nail it together, we're five people, of course we're fast. If somebody hadn't insisted on windows we'd ready already."  
"Hey, windows are important, we want light inside. And fresh air. It's a cute little house, every house has windows. One day my grandchildren might play in here."  
"One day, by then it will be an old house, mom."  
"I know, doesn't matter. Guys, can you start on the roof?"  
"The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire." Dean started singing. "We don't need no water let the motherfucker burn. Burn motherfucker, burn!"   
"Beside the poor choice of words, baby bro, when you use don't and no you actually say yes. A double negative is a positive. A common mistake in many songs."  
"Smart ass, it's not university time."  
"My students know these things, at least the smart ones."   
"I do. Mom, your window idea…you are aware of the fact we need to get them to a glazier? We don't have glass here."  
"No problem, I go and see one tomorrow. We could also have a glass door."  
"No! It's a house for dogs, Sofia. Not a guest house." Sara stretched her back. Time to continue with the next layer. While the men worked on the roof, the women had to work on the gable. The dogs, who were supposed to live in the house, lost interested a long time ago. Both lay in the grass and slept.   
"Lucky will be a guest, so it's a guest house. We have to paint it too, which is her favorite color?"  
"Seriously? You're asking me what's the favorite color of my dog is?"  
"Yes, she's supposed to feel comfortable here, it's the place she gives birth to her puppies."  
"If you start to look for kids wallpaper I send you straight into a loony bin."  
"A Disney…"  
"No! Don't even think about it. No wallpaper. We can paint the walls from the outside if that makes you happy, not inside. Okay?"  
"You're such a spoilsport."  
"No, she's reasonable, mom. If you want to pimp up the house, get them furniture."  
"Nico, please." Sara sighed, she didn't need another one with crazy ideas.  
"I'm talking about bowls, build into the floor so they can't move or drop it. Not chairs, table, beds or whatever. Give me some credit, please."  
"Sorry. I'm only scared your inherited some of her craziness."  
"No, I'm a reasonable person like my dad."  
"Your father a reasonable person? He got you a rock band to play on your twenty-first birthday and gave you a skydiving voucher." Sofia grumbled. How was she supposed to top these presents? Not that she and her ex were in a competition, had to fight for the love and attention of their daughter, but it was strange.   
"A tandem jump with a teacher, like I said, he's reasonable. Don't worry mom, I loved your present too and I love you. After all, I live with you, how many women my age would do that if they can afford their own place?"  
"None, you're the best."  
"I know. Sara, shall we choose the paint before mom buys rainbow colors or something like that. Or gets the Disney wallpaper."  
"Yes, lets let your mother do the rest of the gable while we go shopping. You don't need our help, detective Curtis, do you?"  
"I made it to lieutenant, even when you like to forget it. Lieutenant Curtis. You want to flee the scene, CSI Sidle? Go ahead, you're a bad influence on my daughter."  
"She teaches at university, she can't be a bad influence and you spend a lot of time with her too. See you later, mommy."  
"Don't hit your thumb, mommy." Sara blinked at Sofia. A shopping trip with Nico was a nice change after almost finishing the house. Her only concern was, when they were came back Sofia messed up the house and made it look horrible kitschy. 

An hour later they came back with light green paint. The house was finished and Sofia, Dean and Brian sat next to the barbecue, a beer in their hands.   
"What happened to no alcohol?" Nico asked her mother.   
"I worked hard, I deserve a cold beer. Green?"  
"We like it, it looks good on Lucky and Happy. Give me the beer." Nico took Sofia's bottle away. "Hey Dean, do you like video games?"  
"Depends on the games."  
"Basketball?"  
"Too brutal. I prefer games you have to use your head for."  
"Lets go upstairs and play a little bit. We don't have to paint the house today. Brian?"  
"Always by your side, Honey-love. See you lovely ladies later."  
"There they go, a computer game is more interesting than the barbecue. Don't tell me you go with them."  
"No, I stay with you." Sara got a bottle of beer and sat next to the blonde. "Why do you have a band aid on your left index finger?"  
"A scale of wood got into it. Why weren't you there to protect me?"  
"You're the detective, you protect the CSI, not the other way around." Sara took Sofia's hand, removed the band aid, looked at the wound, kissed the finger and put the band aid back on. "Now it will heal faster."  
"You're cute."  
"You built a nice house."  
"It's not like you didn't build it too. We're a good team."  
"We all five are a good team. Or seven, our two dogs count too. Since when is Lucky asleep?"  
"A while, she and Happy played, I fed them and then both lay down. Like an old couple, they're so cute. I wonder how Happy reacts to the puppies."  
"I'm not sure if Lucky lets him get close to them. Aren't bitches very protective of their puppies? Even when it comes to the father? At least the first time?"  
"I don't know, we have to try. When she growls we know he has to stay away. We'll be with her during labor, right?"  
"If we're awake, yes. It will take a few hours. Do you have an idea which puppy you want?"  
"No, first I wanted the first one, then the last one and now I think I wait until they're here and my puppy chooses me. What about you?"  
"I take the one nobody wants. The leftover."  
"You're the cute one." Sofia put her arm around Sara.   
"All puppies will be cute, they have no other choice with their parents."  
"There are no ugly puppies, they're all cute. Like any other little animal."  
"Yeah, our ten puppies, I wish there would be more. Of course for Lucky is better there aren't so many. I remember giving birth to Nico, almost ten hours for one baby. As much as I love my daughter, in these ten hours I hated her and wanted her out and far, far away. Unfortunately soon she was far away and I wasn't happy about it. Anyway, what I want to say is, labor is hard, so it's better for Lucky to get out of it ASAP, means less puppies."  
"If there were only two we don't have worry about who to keep, we keep them both. They stay in the family."   
"We're a family now?"  
"Honey, they made us a family and we were a family before, in Vegas. The team was family, wasn't it?"  
"That's why you treated me like your stepsister."  
"The bad stepmother?"   
"I'm not a bad mother."  
"No, you're not." Sara leant herself on Sofia's shoulder. "Did I mention Happy finding Lucky makes me very happy? Who knows if we had ever met. Nico could have been a way to meet, but with her out of my university courses, the chances were zero."  
"Not zero, it's the same city, Santa Monica and Malibu aren't that far away. We might have met eventually. This is faster, so it's much better. Why did you change your cell phone number?"  
"The same reason you did, making a cut. With the same number Las Vegas has a chance to reach out for you, pull you back. The new number makes it impossible. When you're back in Vegas to see your parents, do you go to the department, meet the guys? Have breakfast with them?"  
"No, it's pure family time. What about you? Did you see one of the team?"  
"No."  
"No contact to Greg?"  
"A little bit. It's hard, I miss him but…I'm afraid when I call him too often, I get pulled back to Vegas."  
"You met me, are you afraid I pull you back to Vegas?"  
"Your new home is Malibu, you don't pull me to Vegas, you keep me here."  
"I'm a reason to stay in L.A.?"  
"Vanity you have a new name, it's Sofia." Sara rolled her eyes and bopped the blonde. "Los Angeles is nicer with you. I missed you, Sofia."  
"You did?"  
"Sometimes. A little bit. When I got…"  
"Don't ruin it, Sara. I like the compliment. And you. No more running away from cities or people. We stay in contact, deal?"  
"Deal."  
"Great. It's a promise you better keep, Miss Sidle." Sofia got her arm around the brunette. "You and me will stay together."  
"Sounds like we're an old married couple. Soon you'll live here, we'll be like a married couple; in separate rooms."  
"You really need a man, Sofia."  
"Why? I found out I'm fine with the two who live in my house. Brian and Happy are enough, I don't need a man to be happy. In fact I rather spend time with you than on dates. You're smarter than all of the men I met here, you're more fun to be with, my daughter likes you. The only thing missing is a motorbike license."  
"Who says I don't have a motorbike license?"  
"You do?"  
"Yes."  
"Do you have a bike?"  
"No, but I rent one sometimes for daytrips."  
"Wow, you are perfect. Will you take me with you?"  
"As my biker bunny? And I wear one of those shirts that say: if you can read this my chick fell off the bike."  
"Whatever it takes to get on a bike again. But I plan to hold on tight to you. We have dogs to look after."  
"We do."  
"So? Will you take me? Up the PCH?"  
"What do I get in return?"  
"What do you want?"  
"You owe me a favor when I take you, a big one."  
"Done. When will we leave? Can we go tomorrow? You don't have to work, do you?"  
"No, I don't, you have."  
"I…oh right. Bugger. The day after tomorrow?"  
"Vet appointment with Lucky. You can join us there."  
"Okay, Lucky is more important. But we go on a trip before the puppies are here?"  
"I have no other choice, otherwise you won't stop annoying me."  
"I love you."  
"Safe that for your sweetheart after your first date."  
"A declaration of love can't be honest if you say it after the first date. It takes more time to develop love. You can like somebody, but that's not the same like love. Real love needs time. When somebody tells you he's in love with you after the first date, all he wants is getting into your pants."  
"You talk from experience?"  
"Don't you know this kind of dates?"  
"My last date was a long time ago."  
"Grissom?"  
"Isn't that way out of your business?"  
"Depends. As good friends we share this kind of details. My last date was Bob, forty-one, broker. His idea of a perfect date was reading the stock report and a coffee to go because his phone rang all the time. The newest stock reports from all over the world. I think I was very desperate for a date."  
"Sounds like it. One date only with Bob?"  
"One was more than enough. I sent Nico a text to call me, pretending an emergency. I doubt he cared a lot, something just happened in Tokyo."  
"Not a smart man."  
"Oh, the suit, the shoes, the car said he had a lot of money, he must be a smart broker."  
"Yeah, a smart broker and a stupid man. He had a date with you, only a fool treats you the way he did. You deserve better, the full attention."  
"Thanks, I make sure the next time I date somebody who cares about me. Did you and Grissom …rumor has it you got engaged…"  
"Rumor was right, we were engaged. Then I left and we separated. That's the end of the Grissom Sara romance. There were other guys, I had dates, nothing serious. Grissom was the most serious relationship ever. I believe it was forever and learnt I was wrong. Nobody can always be right, right?"  
"Unfortunately not." Sofia realized they sat arm in arm on the bench, enjoying the feeling of the other's skin, being close. It was good, it was intimate, like they were two very old friends, who found each other after a long time. In some ways they were, maybe not old friends, but friends. She had the feeling their relationship made a huge step today, with the dog house, the barbecue, the conversation, the planned motorbike trip, shared stories about their past. Very private stuff, the blonde never thought the brunette would share details about her relationship with Grissom or somebody else.   
"I thought once I was right, or got told it was right."  
"With Nico's father?"  
"No, actually it's not that long ago. Just before I left I almost got married."  
"I beg your pardon? You dated?"  
"Yeah, I dated and it was serious. Seriously wrong as I found out when we stood in front of the priest. He said already 'I do' and when it was my turn I said: I don't love you, never have. It was the first time I said what I really thought and felt. My parents, who were very happy about the marriage, got mad when I left the church. It was the last day I lived in Las Vegas."  
"Wow. Who was he?"  
"A cop. Of course. I said my parents were thrilled about the wedding, my mom can only be thrilled when it's a cop."  
"Of course. Does she still check your dates?"  
"There aren't any."  
"Bob?"  
"He wasn't worth mention his name."  
"Does she know you'll be a grandmother soon?"  
"She does and she thinks I'm crazy because I want to keep a puppy. In her eyes one dog is enough."  
"You have the space for more than one dog, the time too."  
"Exactly. But she wants me back at the force."  
"You are way more relaxed, I like Los Angeles Sofia a lot."  
"I like the Los Angeles Sara too. She's also very relaxed and good to talk to. Maybe we're both better off without law enforcement."   
"It was good for a few years, now we're ready for something new. Less work, more private life." Sara smiled. "How about we start painting the house? We can finish it before it's dark, then it has time to dry and we can continue our barbecue."  
"Your ideas are also much better in Los Angeles than in Las Vegas and you were a genius there." Sofia got up and pulled the other woman up too. She'd paint a house with Sara. Wasn't that a kind of commitment? Build a house together, paint it. Exactly what you do when you're a family. 

VIII

Black leather pants and jacket, black boots, a helmet and the feeling of being free like a bird while she held on tight to Sara so she didn't fall off the Harley. Sofia felt like she was twenty again, on a bike, nothing but freedom in front of her. Back then she had been with her boyfriend on Route 66, today she was with Sara on the Pacific Coast Highway, on their way up north, just after Santa Barbara. The brunette didn't speed like her boyfriend did back then, she took her time, drove fast enough to be in nobody's way and slow enough so they could have a look at the stunning scenery. The PCH was one of the most beautiful roads in the US and today, with the sunshine and the deep blue sky, the steep coastline, the sandy beaches and the mountains on the right side it showed the women what made it so special.   
Sara rent the Harley for a day, if Sofia could choose they'd go on for days, drive up to Canada and come back. One day of freedom was too short, it was like you were allowed to lick on the ice cream once and then have to throw it away.   
Her head resting on the shoulder and back of the brunette, Sofia tried to remember every single yard they drove, feel the road under the Harley and enjoy the wind on her face. It was like she could smell the ocean too, but she wasn't sure if that was real or just her imagination.   
When the bike slowed down the attention of the blonde got back to the road. Sara left the highway and stopped on a parking lot on the side. It was a little bit higher than the street, like a small plateau, that allowed a clear view on the ocean and the beach.   
"Time for a coffee." Sara took off her helmet. "We're not in a hurry, are we?"  
"No, although I have to say it's hard to let go of this beautiful and sexy Lady." Gentle Sofia stroke over the motorbike. "Such a beauty, so much power."  
"If you are having an orgasm on the bike I won't drive it back."  
"I can hold myself back, don't worry. But wow, what a bike. Maybe I have to get the license too, buy a Harley and…wake up because I don't have the money for it before the mortgage is paid."  
"You stop behaving weird and we can do this trip again." Sara opened the bag attached on the bike and got a thermos out. "Eleven o'clock coffee, after two hours on the bike, a well deserved break."   
"I'd love to offer you a change but that wouldn't be legal. Anyway, I love this Harley, did I mention it before?"  
"Yes you did."  
"Sorry, I'm all teeny over a Harley, horrible for an adult, I know." The blonde sat down next to the brunette. "You know you make me a happy woman, don't you?"  
"Me or the Harley?"  
"Both of you. How far will we drive today?"  
"Depends on our plans. Do you want to stop somewhere for a longer break? Or only drive?"  
"A lunch break somewhere at the ocean and then back. You have to decide, you're the one who drives. When you say you're done, we should be back in Malibu and not somewhere further up north. With how many hours are you comfortable?"  
"When the traffic stays like this, we can drive another two and a half hours up north, have an hour lunch break and go back home with another stop somewhere around here."  
"Over eight hours on the road, that should be enough for you. Tonight you deserve a good dinner. Nico will prepare something for us. She looked pretty happy with our two dogs around her."  
"Yeah, not as happy as you look on the Harley…"  
"On a Harley with you, an extra bonus. If I have to choose between you and a Harley I pick you, believe it or not."  
"How comes?"  
"A Harley can take me wherever I want, with you it's nice no matter where I am. No Harley needed. With you I can have conversations and I really enjoy them."  
"I enjoy spending my time with you…so much that I cancelled a trip to Peru."  
"A trip to Peru?" Surprised Sofia looked at the brunette. What trip to Peru? She had no idea Sara booked a trip, then again, she had vacation, why should she stay in Los Angeles? Most people go away when they have a few weeks off.   
"Yes."  
"Why do you cancel it?"  
"Because I've got a pregnant dog and want to be here when she has her puppies. She would be in perfect hands when I leave her with you, but I prefer to be here with you. Peru doesn’t run away, I can go there next year, maybe you come with me. Two weeks of hiking, could be fun, don't you think?"  
"Absolutely." Sara asked her to go on a vacation with her. This woman could surprise her every day new, managed to make her wonder, what happened, that the private brunette opened up so much, included her in her vacation plans.   
"Don't look at me like I'm the eighth world wonder."  
"You offering me to go on a vacation with you is like a world wonder, sorry, but it amazes me. You amaze me, Sara."  
"My pleasure. You surprised me too when you told me about your daughter, who amazes me every time I meet her. I can see a lot Sofia in her, not much of her father, whoever he is. She's you, I'd say to a hundred percent. Which is amazing because she was around her father all the time, or is he a lot like you?"  
"No, it must be my good DNA. She likes you too, says you're the first normal friend I have."  
"I'm the only friend you have?"   
"No, you're not my only friend. Fact is I don't spend as much time with somebody as I spend with you."  
"Does any other friend take you out on a Harley trip?"  
"No, that's why you're my favorite."   
"Like Lucky is Happy's favorite friend."  
"Yes. Two more weeks and we'll have puppies."  
"And we're prepared for them. The house is ready, the fence is high enough to keep the puppies inside, there are a lot of toys, you bought food for them, collars. I'm surprised you haven't come up with names."  
"I did, just haven't showed you the list. A ten names for each gender."  
Sara chuckled. How could she believe Sofia didn't think about names? She was obsessed with the puppies, she probably prepared her camera for the birth, installed it into the house and made sure she didn't miss a second of the labor, saved it on a DVD for eternity.  
"You know the owners will name them, not we."  
"We'll keep both one, we need names. Or do have one for your puppy?"  
"How can I have a name on mind when I don't know if I keep a male or female?"  
"Two names, you only have to come up with one name for a male and one for the female. You must have a favorite. How came you up with Lucky's name?"  
"I was lucky to find her."  
"You're also lucky to have the puppies with you. Alegre? It's Spanish for lucky."  
"Is it on your list?"  
"One of the possibilities."  
"How did you choose Nico's name?"  
"Her father named her after his grandmother, Nicola."  
"You were fine with the name?"  
"Yes. I saw her and thought she's the most beautiful baby ever, it didn't matter what her name was because for me it would always mean beautiful. She has my blue eyes and his black hair, my smart brain, his charm. No wonder all the guys ask her out."  
"How comes she doesn't accept? That doesn't sound like her mother…or as I imagine her mother twenty years ago. Nowadays she seemed to dismiss all males too."  
"I'm happy with the females in my life."  
"Changed teams?"  
"Scared if I had?"  
"Why? Because I'm alone with you on a parking lot at the PCH? No. Like I don't mind that Brian used to be Beverly I don't mind if you decided to have sex with women. It doesn't change you, the Sofia, who sits next to me."  
"You love me anyway."  
"Who said I love you? You're living in a world of your own." The brunette got up. "Come on, time to drive a little bit further north. Get on the bike, bitch."  
"Bitch? Drive me around, macho." She wasn't a stupid blonde biker bitch, who did what her driver told her. 

"Sunset on the beach with a Harley, this is…"  
"Don't say a date." Sofia interrupted Sara laughing.   
"The best date I had in a while." Sara cocked a brow amused.   
"Okay, that sounds better. Date, huh? When did you decide we're having a date?"  
"When you told me not to say it's a date."  
"I knew it, typical you."  
"And you like me." The brunette stretched out in the sand, closing her eyes to feel the last warm rays of the sun on her face. The sound of the ocean played in the back, like an orchestra, making her feel like she was on vacation.   
"We'll have a midnight snack." They were around an hour north of Los Angeles, forty minutes to Malibu. Because they enjoyed their trip so much, they drove further up north as planned, lost track of time in their lunch break and didn't make it back to Malibu before sunset. And you couldn't miss the sunset on the beach when you spent a day on PCH. The Harley parked a few yards away, they had the little beach for themselves.   
"We can leave if you want."  
"No! This is better than dinner. Although it reminds me of TV shows. Usually this is the open scene and the two people on the beach get killed. Do you have a gun with you?"  
"I work at a university, why would I have a gun?"  
"You were a CSI."  
"Do you have a gun, former detective Curtis?"  
"Not with me, it's at home. Bugger. We have to get physical if anybody tries to attack us."  
"I trust my cop, you'll protect me. What kind of story is that? With two dead women on the beach? Killed on the first date."  
"A common one for all TV crime shows?"  
"Well, I prefer the old-schooled stuff, with the hero. Or in this case the heroine. You save us and I take us home. Not quite the way old movies are made, but we have to improvise a little bit. Have you ever slept on the beach?"  
"How? When I was young I lived in Las Vegas, now I'm too old for such things."  
"Skinny dipping?"  
"Guilty. You?"  
"I did both. Twenty years ago."  
"Wild teenager times and here I sit, thought you were a boring geek. You did more than sit over your books and study? Impressing. Nico won't believe this story when I tell her about your past."  
"It's none of her business, try to keep some things to yourself, Miss Gossip."  
"Are you embarrassed of your past?"  
"No, I just don't have to advertise it."  
"Okay, it's our secret. Where's your jacket?"  
"On the bike."  
"You're having goose bumps, come here, I keep you warm. The sun is almost gone, lets sit here for another minute or two before we go on." Sofia sat behind Sara and pulled her into her arms.   
"This could be a cheap pick-up line." The protest of the brunette wasn't a real one, she snuggled into the arms of the other woman.  
"Only if you weren't feeling cold, which you do. Why did you leave your jacket on the bike?"  
"It was warm when we stopped."  
"Right." Sofia put her head on Sara's shoulder, watching the rest of the sun vanishing into the ocean. She didn't feel cold but felt better with the brunette in her arms. She had Sara in her arms the whole day, or held on to her, which was the same. It felt good, like it felt good to be with Sara. It never felt like this in Vegas, something had changed and whatever it was, she liked it and hoped, it didn't go away. 

"You know what the worst part of the day is?" Sofia asked when they stopped in front of her house.   
"There is a bad part about this day? Or more than one bad part? It felt pretty good to me." Sara pushed the Harley into the garage so it was safe for the night. Tomorrow morning she'd bring it back to the rental car office.   
"One."  
"Which one?"   
The blonde unlocked the front door and waited for the brunette to catch up so she could set the alarm system. Sara would stay here tonight, there was no point in her driving back home and come back early in the morning to get the Harley back.   
"It's over now."  
"Everything is over at one point, which doesn't have to be bad. It can also be the beginning of something much better."  
"How is anything supposed to be better than a day on a Harley? This is as good as it gets."  
"Really? In my world is could be better." The brunette grinned smug.   
"How?"  
"Well, if you have no idea, your and my horizon aren't the same."  
"Oh, you are so mean. Hey Happy." Sofia got on her knees to cuddle her dog after she set the alarm. Sara had Lucky already in her arms, got a short 'wash-over' from her dog. So many germs from the day on the bike, on the beach, Lucky had to make sure her owner was clean now that she was at home.   
"With all these kisses I get I can't be a bad person. Did you miss mommy?"  
"She looked for you a couple of times, whined a little bit, but then she was fine. We had some fun on the beach, swam, had lunch, lay in the sand, in the shade, like a vacation day. You are late, Ladies." Nico said when she walked down the staircase.   
"We watched the sunset on the beach."  
"How romantic. I had no idea you were out on a date."  
"I'm not having dates, I'm just as much a loser as you are."   
"A loser? When I don't have dates it's because I decide I don't want them, they distract me from my work. You don't have dates because nobody lives up to your expectancy and you're scared to give a relationship a try. I watched you turning down a couple of guys, pretty good looking ones too, you acted like they were idiots."  
"Don't you have to study?"  
"No, I'm going out on a late date. Don't wait up for me. Good night, Sara."  
"Good night Nico, have fun."  
"Whom are you meeting?"  
"Not your business, mom." Nico kissed Sofia's cheek. "Love you."  
"If you love me, you tell me who you meet."  
"Somebody cute. And it's only a sex date, nothing serious. Bye." Nico turned off the alarm, opened the door and left.   
"Nicola!" Sofia starred at the door. "I don't believe it. She left without telling me where she's going to. Whom she's meeting. And I don't want to talk about the other thing she mentioned."  
"You mean the sex date?" Sara chuckled.   
"We don't want to talk about it!"   
"Did you tell your mother when you were twenty-one and had a sex date?"  
"That's not the point."  
"So you didn't." Sara grinned. "I go and clean my face after Lucky cleaned me. Why don't you prepare our snack? Your guest is hungry, be a good host."  
"After I cleaned myself. We don't want Happy's hair on our snack. Then I check if my having secrets daughter prepared your bed. If you like it, it will be your bed for the time you stay here, if not we get you another one."  
"Okay, thanks." Sara hugged Lucky again and then she went into the little bathroom to clean up. A day on a Harley, with Sofia sitting behind her, exploring the PCH. It was a fun day. One she wouldn't mind to experience again. Maybe they could rent the Harley for two days, go up further or even to San Francisco, making it a week off. No, not possible, she had to think about Lucky. One day away was all right, the Golden Retriever was in good hands here, a second was all she could do. She had no idea how Lucky slept when she wasn't around, since the dog lived with her, they had been together every night, Lucky slept in front of or in her bed and Sara knew, she checked a few times a night, if her owner was still in bed.   
Soon Lucky had to sleep without her, in the house in the garden. With all her puppies. For a moment the brunette wondered if her dog was a good mother then she pushed this thought away. Of course she was a good mother, she was a wonderful dog, kind to puppies when they met them on their walks. There was no reason to believe Lucky would be any other way with her own babies.   
"What do we have for dinner?"  
"Wok vegetables with fried noodles and Wonton Kisses as dessert."  
"Wonton Kisses?"  
"Sweet as a kiss." Sofia took a small wonton and offered it to Sara.  
"I thought it's dessert."  
"We won't tell anybody."   
"Okay." The brunette tried the wonton kiss. "Not too bad."  
"I like them a lot, they've got chocolate inside."  
"The perfect kisses."  
"Almost. Want another one?"  
"After the real dinner."  
"You're so damn grown-up sometimes. Didn't you wish as a child you could eat whatever you want, whenever you want without having somebody say: don't spoil your dinner, this is not healthy, no more sugar, you can't put cream on everything."  
"No."  
"Strange." Sofia took two plates and put the noodle vegetable mix on it. "Table? Couch?"  
"Garden?"  
"We're having an outside day, okay. Grab the blanket, it gets fresh here at night with the wind coming in from the ocean."  
"I realized that on the beach. Come on Lucky, you can join us but you won't get any food. Understand me? No human food."  
"She understands what you say like she doesn't care and will try to get your food. Look at her sad brown puppy eyes. She's pregnant, she needs food."  
"Nico fed her, she doesn't need more. No! Stop asking for food."  
"It's in her genes, the same goes for Happy. They're hungry all the time."  
"Like a blonde I know when she sees chocolate."   
"A stunning blonde, who looks like she never touches any chocolate."  
"Arrogant and smug."  
"Just the way you like me best."  
Sara snorted with laughter. This was so Sofia, trying to make her weakness look like it was a strength. Actually, she did like this about the blonde. Her positive attitude, that went on perfectly with her deep blue eyes and the sunny blonde hair.   
"Tell me the truth, did you start working at the university because of the long holidays?"  
"Actually I've got one month with barely anything to do and after that I'll be back at university to prepare the new semester. You know, Nico still tries to get me involved in her master diploma."  
"Is she succeeding?"  
"She's smart enough to get through without me, if she needs me, I'll be there but with her smart mother, she should be fine without her former assistant professor."  
"Why not use every resource you have? That would be stupid and she isn't stupid."  
"No, not at all." Sara put the blanket over Sofia and herself. They shared the canopy swing while the dogs sat in front of them, watching, waiting for food. "When do you have to see your next client?"  
"Tomorrow, later morning. Coffee appointment at the pier, he's a regular, we'll talk about an update. After that I visit a villa of a filthy rich man, who wants a new security system. No money limit is set, he wants to see all my toys."  
"When you say it like this it sounds like it's a sex date too."  
"I don't have any sexual relationship with my clients, there's only one I have a private relationship with. We meet for coffee and conversation, my first client."  
"They always say the first one is special." Sara mocked.   
"Well, it depends. Tell me about your first one."  
"My first client? We never called them clients, they were victims. Or suspects, witnesses. You should know that, you worked law enforcement too."  
"What about the first lover?"  
"Oh, that is so not your business, Sofia. No need to start the whole friends tell shit, it will never be your business. I can tell you about my first car if you like."  
"No, that's boring. Cars are not gossip, sex is. Women love gossip, that's why there're hundreds of gossip magazines out to buy. Which one is your favorite?"  
"Science Tomorrow."  
"That's not a gossip magazine."  
"It's my favorite."  
"What do you read when you sit and wait at the doctor?"  
"The book I took with me. The magazines at the doctors are full of germs, if you're not already sick when you go there, you'll be sick after you read them."  
"You're a sunshine."  
"It's science."  
"Forget for a moment science and look up with your heart, what do you see?"  
"Stars."  
"Look closer."  
"I can see the Little Dipper."  
"Really? I see a million dreams and some might come true tonight. With every shooting star one wish somewhere on this planet comes true. Some dreams are selfish, some are noble, they all make their owner happy and as soon as their dream came true, there'll a new dream up there because people never stop dreaming."  
"Is that what you told Nico when she was younger?"  
"I still tell her this and she likes it. Look again, without the eyes of a scientist, tell me what you see."  
"You, happy in the arms of your lover, in a nice house on the beach."  
"Oh, you saw my dream. Let me see if I can find yours…oh, there it is. You see things without a scientific background, only as they are or could be. A lot of fantasy, a lot of joy because you see only the good in things."  
"What happened to my happily ever after story?"  
"Can't see it. You either don't dream it or it's not a dream anymore."  
"Or you see what you want to see."  
"Which is human."  
"It is."  
"Want another wonton kiss? I've got one left."  
"You want to share your chocolate?" Sara asked surprised. Since when did Sofia share her beloved chocolate?   
"One half for you, one for me." The blonde held the wonton in front of the brunette.   
"Thanks." Sara bid off half of it. "They're really good."  
"Nico is a great cook, one of the good things she got from her father."  
"And she knows what you like, gets chocolate into your food. I know wontons with other fillings."  
"An open mind is a great thing."   
"Absolutely."  
"So, with your open mind, what do you see?" The blonde tried it again.   
"Stars."  
"And?"  
"Deep blue."  
"Deep blue? Where?"  
"Just next to me." Sara looked at Sofia. "In your eyes."  
"You can't see the color of my eyes, it's dark."  
"I see them whenever I look at you."  
"Explain it with science, how you can see when it's dark."  
"There's no scientific explanation because I can't see them in a way I can see the stars."  
"You start looking with your heart, how nice." The blonde snuggled into the arm of the brunette. "Shall we stay a little bit longer here? Watch the stars."  
"Yeah, perhaps I can see a few more things in them." Sara got her arm tighter around Sofia. "Are you cold?"  
"No, just perfect. You?"  
"Same." With the blanket the temperature was perfect. It was a summer night, not cold, only a little bit chili when the wind caught them. Otherwise it was perfect. In every way. 

IX

Ten puppies. Lucky was pregnant with ten puppies and from what Sara knew, they were all fine and the pregnancy went on the way a pregnancy had to be. Her bitch ate more, was tired, didn't want to walk that far anymore and didn't like playing with Happy too often. Which didn't stop Sara and Sofia from meeting and after a few attempts and growls the Lab understood when to stop.   
"Did you sell a new alarm system?" The brunette blinked at the blonde.   
"I made a fortune." Sofia smiled at her friend, who lay in the sand, enjoying the sunshine and waited for her.   
"Is that why you bought two grande coffee for us? As a celebration?"  
"Celebration of a nice paycheck for me. Where is Lucky?"  
"With Happy in your garden. It's hot on the beach for them."  
"While you like turning into a lobster? Turn around, Lora Lobster, you need sun cream otherwise you'll be crispy soon."  
"Red isn't my color?"  
"A beautiful lady can wear any color and you are a beautiful lady. Nevertheless I prefer you with your natural pale skin color." Sofia kneed next to Sara and got the sun cream out of the bag, started to apply it on the brunette. "See, much better. Now, why don't you get the cake out of the bag while I get us a sunshade."  
"You spoil me."  
"I do and I like it." Satisfied with herself and the world the blonde got them a sunshade from the shop where she also got the coffee and cake from.   
"Tell me about your deal."  
"Well, I met a rich couple in a house big enough for four basketball teams." Sofia lay next to the brunette on her belly, sipping her coffee and broke off a piece of cake.   
"A lot of area to cover, a lot cameras, a lot of money to make." Sara sat up and started to apply the sun cream on the blonde. They were in the shadow but it didn't mean they'd stay there. Sooner or later the ocean would call.   
"Exactly. I sold the amount of equipment to them I usually sell in a whole week. My boss gave me a nice bonus. What would you like to do today? Any wish? Dinner in a special restaurant? We have a reason to celebrate."  
"Pizza in your garden?"  
"Seriously? From all the expensive and noble restaurants in Los Angeles you choose a pizza and my garden? Why?"  
"Our dogs are there, your daughter and your housemate can join, I have everything I need there. I could call Dean, big family night."  
"Your wish is my command. We have pizza in my garden. Call Dean."  
"I send him a text. How big is your bonus?"  
"Oh, that's private."  
"How many numbers?"  
"Four."  
"Wow. With a higher number first?"  
"Not your business."  
"It is a higher number. For how much did your clients shop?"  
"Six numbers."  
"Wham."   
"Enough of work. Tell me about the puppies."  
"All are healthy. Twelve more days and Lucky is a mommy. Another reason to celebrate."  
"Yeah. Will you stay over?"  
"Only if we don't sleep in the canopy swing." The last time they fell asleep in the canopy swing and woke up a few hours later with sore muscles. Found by Nico, who was very amused about her mother and her friend, when she came home.   
"It's not my plan."  
"Good. Your arms are very comfortable and it wasn't cold but I prefer a bed."  
"So do I. Nothing can beat a nice bed."  
"Want to share your bed with me?" A man appeared in front of the two women and grinned at Sofia from above.   
"No thanks."  
"Oh come on, it will be interesting, we'll have fun. I want to get to know your bed."  
"Listen, I'm a CSI and if you don't leave my girlfriend alone I get my gun out of the bag and shoot you. The only one who gets into her bed is me." Sara hissed.   
"Wow, calm down. Dykes." He turned and walked away.   
"Wanker."  
"That's what he'll be doing tonight if he doesn't find a replacement." Sofia chuckled.   
"With tweezers?"  
"You're such a sunshine. Why didn't you tell me I'm your girlfriend?"  
"Because it was a lie? I lied about being a CSI, the gun, these sentences were made out of lies."  
"You were a CSI, you had a gun."  
"Were. Past tense. I told him I have, present tense. Besides, how low was he? I want to get to know your bed? Hello? Does he believe he's God's gift to women? With a pick-up line like this he will get only the dumbest ones."  
"If that's enough for him. How would you have approached me?"  
"Hey Sofia, how are you?"  
"No, I mean if you saw me on the beach, thought I'm sexy and wanted me to be your date of the night. Humor me and don't tell me you don't want me as your date or anything. Put yourself in his shoes but add your brain to the scene."  
The brunette rolled her eyes. "Okay. So I see you and Nico on the beach and think you're the chick of the year…where is your dog?"  
"Why would you ask for me dog? You don't know me."  
"No, but I can see you've got dog treats in your bag and a Lab sticker on it too."   
"Oh. I left him at home, it's too warm."  
"You have a Lab?"  
"Yes, a dark one."  
"Nice, I've got a Golden Retriever. She's at home too, I take her to the beach later in the afternoon. Are you taking your dog here too? I think I never saw you here before."  
"You're much better than he is, we're already in a conversation and about to meet for our evening walk. You know how to pick up women." Sofia rolled on her side and looked at Sara amused.   
"Not difficult when you know the other person and observe her. Are we having a date for later? A walk our dog date?"  
"Honey, we'll have a dinner date too. Remember the pizza? You picked me up."  
"Actually you asked me out for dinner, you picked me up."  
"We picked each other up? Sounds like a perfect start. Can I seduce you with some cold coke?"  
"You want to seduce me? Don't you want to try your best pick-up line on me first?"   
"Oh, okay. Uhm…mhm…I see you with Dean on the beach, your obvious gay friend…and… boy, that's a tough one…"  
"Really?" Sara laughed. "Sofia Curtis has no idea how to pick somebody up? I don't believe that."  
"Somebody wouldn't be a problem, but you're not a guy who thinks with his dick, I need more than my stunning smile and adorable body…I think I'm about to get burnt could you apply some sunc ream on my back?"  
"Seriously? You think I'd fall for that? Try better."  
"Shit…uhm…the weather is nice today, isn't it?"  
"Sofia, you're supposed to pick me up not to make me puke. Don't tell me you have nothing better."  
"Sorry…to be honest…it's obvious you don't fall for any crap and I've no idea how to start a conversation, but you look like somebody who's capable of a real conversation and not about fashion and gossip. Like you drink beer and not sparkling wine and prefer to go out for a walk with your dog if you have one instead of stepping on toes in shopping malls."  
"You got that right."  
"Can you recommend some good hiking trails? I've got a dog too and we're always looking for new walks."  
"Solstice Canyon is nice. What kind of dog do you have?"  
"A Lab, Happy."  
"Happy? My dog is called Lucky, what a funny coincidence. And there you have my attention. Well done, detective. Why was it so difficult?"  
"I don't like to screw up when it's important."  
"You can't know if it's important before you talked to me. I could be an idiot."  
"No, you can't. If you were an idiot it would have been easier for me. I tend to screw up with the good ones and have no problems with the idiots. Lucky me I don't have to pick you up, I know you and can invite you to dinner. Coke?"  
"Yes, seduce me with coke, darling."  
"Oh, whatever you want, my honey-love." Sofia blew a kiss to Sara and handed her a cold can of coke. She came up with a good pick-up line. One Sara liked. 

"Hey moms." Nico greeted Sara and Sofia when they came back to Sofia's place.   
"Moms? When did I adopt you?" The brunette asked amused. Why did nobody tell her she had a daughter? A grown-up daughter.   
"Oh, officially you haven't yet, but you spend so much time with my mom, I see you so often, it's like you're a second mom."  
"Well, I'm her chick - at least it's what she told the idiot on the beach, who hit on me. In a very low way."  
"Mom, you can't live for the rest of your life alone. Dad is married, what stops you from having a serious relationship?"  
"I want a partner with an IQ above watermelon."  
"Okay, I can understand that. What are your plans for tonight?"  
"Your mom made a lot of money today and wants to celebrate. Instead of an expensive restaurant we order pizza and have beer here."  
"Interesting choice for a celebration."  
"Sara wanted it this way. I told her she can pick a place and she chose the garden and you guys. Her wish is my command. And for our dogs I got some treats too. Nice big bones. Who wants one?" Immediately Happy and Lucky stood very excited in front of the blonde. "Oh, I've got two followers. Sit." No name was needed, both dogs sat down, their eyes fixed on the bones. "Slowly and ladies first." She gave the first bone to Lucky and the second to Happy. Without hesitation both dogs turned and ran away to have their bones in peace.   
"Where is my treat?" Nico asked.   
"Here." Sofia pulled her daughter in her arms and kissed her. "Love you, baby."  
"Love you too and I want more than a kiss. How about a shopping tour? A new shirt or so."  
"The last time we went shopping for one shirt you came home with five bags."  
"I wasn't the only one."  
"Your mother has a high mortgage to pay for this house, we'll have pizza delivered and that's it. The rest of the bonus goes to the bank."  
"You can be so old-fashioned and boring. I take a chicken barbecue pizza. Call me when it's there, time for me to go upstairs and prepare for my return to university. Where's your brother, Sara?"  
"He'll be here later. Somebody has to work."  
"Same with Brian. Let the men work while the women are at home. The old roles. See you later."  
"The old roles? Did I do something wrong with her?" Sofia wondered.   
"No, she's teasing you. Like with the sex date."  
"Don't remember me of that. I order our pizza, you take the vegetarian?"  
"Mushrooms, onions and garlic please."  
"Again, your wish is my command. Be right back. With beer too."  
"I don't run away." Sara made herself comfortable in the canopy swing and watched the dogs. Both were still busy with their bones. What a good day, she had been on the beach early in the morning, read on her balcony for a few hours before she went to here, left Lucky with Happy and went down to the beach to wait for the blonde. Who got a big bonus today for selling a huge security package.   
Was she satisfied with her job? There were no big extra payments for her, she had a lot of vacation time, no dead bodies or criminals - except for some students trying to cheat on their tests. Money wasn't bad, it was the same like in Las Vegas. Or she had less time to spend it. With all the work and overtime, barely any sleep and no hobbies outside work, her money was safe on her account. Very helpful when she went to South America.   
"Pizza will be here in less than thirty minutes. Here's your entree." Sofia sat next to the brunette and gave her a cold bottle of beer. "I ordered salad and pizza rolls too. And some dessert."   
"Some?"  
"Tiramisu. Crème Brûlée, Pana cotta. I couldn't decide which one I wanted most so I ordered them all."  
"You're crazy."  
"In a good or bad way?"  
"A very entertaining way."   
"That's a good way." The blonde lay down, her feet up the side of the canopy swing, her head on Sara's lap. "In a few hours we can look at the stars again."  
"You want to read in the stars again? Come up with some strange stories?"   
"Maybe. Do you like my strange stories?"  
"They amuse me."  
"Another yes. Can I ask you something?"  
"You just did."  
"A personal question."  
"Try it. You might get an answer."  
"How comes we never spent time together when we were in Vegas? Did you really not like me?"  
"You flirted with my boyfriend."  
"I didn't flirt with him, we were friends and he helped me out a few times. It was never anything sexual. So you didn't like me."  
"You weren't my favorite colleague."  
"And now?"  
"I got used to you."  
"Means you like me. I got really good in understand Sara English. Why don't you say out loud what you think?"  
"I challenge your smart mind. Why don't you date any of your admirer? Don't tell me they're all stupid, there is another reason for it."  
"They don't make me happy."  
"How do you know?"  
"Because if they did I'd feel a desire to meet them. My guts don't tell me this, he's the wrong one."  
"You are a scientist why are you this superstitious?"  
"Because love isn't explained with science. It's hocus-pocus."  
"Hocus-pocus? Really? Have you ever really been in love?"  
"Love is a long way and most people don't want to go this long way, they want to start at the finish line."  
"First sex and then talk? Pretty common."  
"Call me old-fashioned, I want to the long way and not the short sex. Being a little bit over thirty I'm too old for these games."  
"A little bit over thirty? Almost forty is the correct answer."  
"Sometimes conversation isn't good."   
"The truth can hurt." Sara messed up the blonde's hair. "You have to re-dye your hair, Honey, I can see dark roots."  
"Do you like me with blonde hair more than brunette?"  
"I've never seen you with brown hair."  
"Do you want to see me with brown hair?"  
"I imagine Nico looks like you did when you were her age?"  
"Pretty much."  
"Stay blonde. One sexy brunette per family is enough."  
"Does that mean I'm the sexy blonde?"  
"Nobody said that."  
"Oh, you so did say that, Sara Sidle. You're busted." Sofia took Sara's hand and squeezed it. The brunette called her sexy! What an ego boost!

A pizza later the two women were alone again. Dean and Brian left a few minutes ago to go out in a club, Nico went back in her room to talk to a friend on the internet. Only the dogs stayed with them.   
"Does your brother know Brian isn't interested in men?"  
"Dean isn't interested in Brian, he's not his type. My little brother prefers more masculine men. Your housemate is too cleaned shaved, too well behaved and too nice. If he were an asshole, a caveman, he'd be the target of interested. Don't ask me why, but his last boyfriends were idiots. He has a special talent to get them."  
"Oh, that's a common talent, I had it for years."  
"Not anymore?"  
"I hope not. No, I'm sure I'm over it."  
"How can you be sure?"  
"Because I'm not interested in assholes anymore."  
"We all aren't interested in them if we get asked. The problem is we fall for them anyway. By the time we realize it's an asshole it's too late. Most of them don't have a sign on the forehead, telling the world this person is an asshole." Sara finished her beer.   
"What is the solution? Only date somebody after you've known each other for a while? How is that possible when you're interested in a stranger? Do you want to start with something like: hi, you look interesting, I'd like to meet you for dinner, it's not a date because before I date you, I want to make sure you're not an asshole. So, lets meet casual, get to know each other and when you're not an asshole, I might ask you out for a date."  
"I'm sure if you say this to a guy he'll agree."  
"I doubt he will."  
"No, it's his chance to date you, he'll do whatever it takes to have a with you."  
"Yeah, sure. Stop sucking up, that's not Sidle style."  
"Since when don't you like compliments anymore?"  
"I like them when they're honest."  
"Now you're accusing me of lying, not nice, Sofia." The brunette chuckled and leant back. "I can see a donkey."  
"Where?" Irritated the blonde looked around. A donkey in her garden?   
"Up, up in the stars."  
"Oh." Sofia looked up. A few stars shone on them, a constellation that looked like a donkey didn't she see. "Where?"  
"There."  
"That's not a donkey, it's a nothing."  
"Just because you don't see it, it doesn't mean it's not there. You're only too blind to see. Look with your heart, not your eyes."  
"You're crazy."   
"While you're blind." Sara got her arm around her friend. "Tell me what you see."  
"I can see a heart."  
"Where?"  
"There. Left, middle, right, down middle. You have to imagine the lines."  
"You're right, I can see it. Maybe a few more stars will appear and we can see an arrow shot through the heart."  
"If an arrows stays for a broken heart, how many arrows would your heart have?"  
"Don't know, four or five. Your?"  
"Two."  
"Wow, lucky woman. Guess people don't refuse blondes with a sexy swagger."  
"Or I'm hard-hearted woman, who isn't interested in anybody because nobody is good enough for me. You heard what my daughter said, I've to give people a chance, don't expect them to be perfect. Nobody is perfect and sometimes mistakes can be very lovable."  
"Which mistake?"  
"For example…a person who works a lot. Not good for a relationship but when somebody is dedicated to the job it's nice. Not always for the spouse but you know your better half, nobody wakes up one morning and is a workaholic."  
"No, you work yourself into it. Perhaps you like your job so much or it's because you don't have the right person to spend your quality time with. Why go home when there's nobody waiting for you? An empty apartment can be very depressing, can make you feel like you're not worth to be loved. So it's better to stay at work, where you feel needed."  
"Or you need some time to realize the perfect person is around. all you have to do is open your eyes. It can also be a friend, not only a lover. Like a few years."  
"I've no idea what you're implying." Sara laughed. Yes, she and Sofia missed a lot of time together in Las Vegas, it took them a few years and some time away from each other to realize, they fit perfectly together.   
"Yes you do. So, what else do you see?"  
"Goose bumps." She pulled the blonde more in her arms. "A few stars and you start to feel cold."  
"It's the cold beer, it makes me cooler than I am."  
"Yeah, sure. You're so cool."   
"I am."  
"I bet you were the coolest girl at your high school. Shall I move away so you can get even cooler?"  
"No, you're hot, lets stay together and be perfectly warm. Besides, I like being in your arms, very comfortable."  
"Lucky you I like having you in my arms too."  
"Really? What a nice coincidence, we can sit like this more often. Arm in arm." Sofia rested her head on Sara's shoulder, her cheek almost touching the other woman's cheek.   
"I'd like that."  
"You would?"  
"Absolutely." Sara pulled Sofia even closer until her lips touched the blonde's cheek. "The closer the warmer, even when you're cool. This is much better."  
"There can't be a too close to comfort."  
"No, it can't." With every word spoken Sara's lips kept touching the other woman's cheek, placing little gentle kisses on it. "Do you feel warmer?"  
"I feel pretty good. You?" Sofia turned her head a little bit so she could look at Sara's face in the moon light.   
Instead on a spoken answer the brunette lifted her head a little bit so her lips touched the blonde's lips and kissed her softly and carefully. Only a short little kiss, then she pulled a little bit away, to see, how the other woman reacted. When she saw Sofia had her eyes closed and her lips pursed for another kiss, she knew all she needed to know. Without wasting another second she pulled the head of the blonde over and kissed her more passionately. 

X

"It feels like a dream." Sofia snuggled deeper into Sara's arms. The whole night the brunette had held her, kissed her. After the kiss in the canopy swing they left the garden and went inside. For an awkward moment both weren't sure if they should kiss goodnight and spend the night in separate rooms, like it was planned. Or if Sara should come with Sofia, stay the night with blonde. In the end they chose the second option. They didn't have sex, only held each other, kissed and savored the feeling of being with the other.   
"If it's a dream I don't want to wake up." Sara smiled and kissed the tip of Sofia's nose. "Like I don't want to get up."  
"Me neither. The problem is we have two dogs downstairs, hungry and in need for a walk."  
"I know. Lets take them out for a little walk, feed them, get some breakfast for ourselves and go back into the canopy swing. It became my favorite spot last night."  
"Really? How comes?"  
"Oh, I had a nice experience there."  
"Like what?"  
"Kissing a very special person."  
"Did you want to kiss her for a long time?"  
"A little while, I think. Or lets say the thought of kissing her was there, it only wasn't as present as it was last night. Somehow everything seemed to be perfect and…your cheek was on my lips, whenever I said a word I more or less kissed you and when you turned your head, how could I resist your lips?"  
"You couldn't, it's why I turned my head. Your lips on my cheek felt great and I thought: hell, this is your chance, turn your head, look at her, offer your lips. If you're lucky she takes the chance, does what you hope she'll do. I was a lucky person last night."  
"Without getting lucky."  
"That's in the eye of the beholder. You were the whole night in my arms or I was in yours, to me it sounds like I got very, very lucky."  
"You got lucky and I'm happy." The brunette giggled.   
"Okay, we should go and see Lucky and Happy so they feel lucky to be our dogs and be happy with their breakfast. Responsibility never sleeps in."  
"Responsibility is a bitch, she ruins nice moments." Sara kissed Sofia one more time before she kicked away the blanket. "All right, lets take the wolves out and feed them."  
"The sooner we do this, the faster we'll be in the canopy swing and have breakfast. I want a few kisses with my toast."  
"If you're lucky your waitress kisses you."  
"Not the waitress, the mistress I've breakfast with."  
"Mistress? Be careful with your words, lover-chick."  
"Misses Lover-Lover, ooh, Misses Lover-Lover. They call me Misses Boombastic."   
"Or nutcase." Sara pulled Sofia out of the bed. Time to take care of their babies. 

"Here's your coffee and your interrogation time starts now." Sofia sat down next to Sara, her coffee in one hand.  
"Interrogation time? What crime am I accused of?"  
"Playing with me, confusing me. I knew we were friends, I had no idea you are in love with me. That you are interested in women."  
"I wasn't interested in you in Vegas, if you mean that. The only one for me was Grissom, you were only somebody, who tried to take my man away. We established already you weren't interested in him as your partner, only saw him as a friend and help."  
"When did you find out you have feelings for me?" Sofia didn't care about the past, about Grissom. She wanted to know about Sara and her.   
"A few days ago. You were on my mind all the time, I missed you when we weren't together, I really didn't like it when a guy hit on you and when Nico tried to talk you into dates, I felt like strangling her. First I wanted to ignore my feelings, a stupid idea because it never works out and I'm aware of them, know I can't change them. And I don't want to. At least I didn't want to change them as long as there was a possibility we could end up together. A few times there were signs - or I thought there were signs - you feel the same I do. Last night, when you were in my arms and my lips touched your cheek, I wanted to whole deal. All or nothing and as it played out, the house doesn't always win.  
Now detective, your CSI has a couple of questions too. How comes you want me and not one of your rich and famous and good looking admirers? You dated men before, never mentioned a woman, where did the change come from?"  
"Who said it was a change? I liked you in Vegas already, your behavior made it more than obvious I can be happy if you don't shoot me, so I never said or did a thing. Plus there was this guy I almost married, before the wedding I thought he was the one for me because he seemed to be perfect. At least my parents told me the whole time he was perfect. I took the easy way, believed them until I ran away in church and left him alone in front of the priest. My parents didn't talk to me for weeks.   
When we met here again and you didn't react to me the way you did in the past, I saw it as a good sign. It was good to see how many things we have in common and how we can enjoy spending time with each other. With every day I found new sides of you I liked and when you said you'd move in for the time Lucky and her puppies are here, I felt like somebody gave me a huge chance. All I had to do was play it soft and smooth. At least it was what I told myself while I was scared to death that the tiniest move I make could ruin everything, that you withdraw and don't want to see me anymore. Remember our Harley trip? How we sat on the beach to watch the sunset?"  
"Of course." A soft smile appeared on Sara's face, making it obvious the brunette remembered everything about the moment and liked every memory.   
"When you were in my arms I wanted so much to kiss you. It seemed to be perfect, like in a movie, so maybe a little bit too perfect. We were so close, had been the whole day and a kiss to end the day seemed to be the missing part."  
"So why didn't you kiss me?"  
"Because our lives aren't a movie, there was no guarantee you liked the movie in my head, no guarantee you wanted the same happy end I wanted. Maybe you liked me as a friend and a kiss would break our fragile friendship. I sat there and watched the perfect moment passing by, annoyed with myself later, how cowardly I was and how stupid it was to let this chance go by."  
"It was a good opportunity, yes."  
"You didn't take it."  
"I was waiting for you, a smug blonde, to make the first step."  
"If you were a guy I had made the step, I was used to get what I want when it came to men. I had no idea how you'd react so I decided to wait for you to take the first step. Which you did last night, otherwise I'd still sit here and wish for you lips to kiss me."  
"I do sit here and wish for your lips to kiss me."  
"Really? We can do something about it." The blonde bent forward and kissed the brunette softly. If Sara wanted to be kissed, her wish was Sofia's command. More than her command, it was her reason of life. Gosh, these lips were so soft, like silk and they tasted so good. Could you become addicted to lips? If so, Sofia was addicted to Sara's lips. Already. After less than one day of kissing them.   
"I knew it!"   
The voice let both women separated and look up. Nico stood a yard away, looking at them. She came outside without any noise and surprised the two women.   
"Good morning Honey."  
"Don't Honey me, you never told me about Sara and you, mother. You owe me an explanation, a very good one."  
"I don't owe you an explanation, I'm your mother and can kiss whoever I want. Besides, your eyes tell me you like what you saw. Don't pretend you're mad when you're happy."  
"You and Sara."  
"So?"  
"So since when?"  
"Not your business."  
"Last night."  
"Whatever."  
"I never saw you kissing before, you had many chances to do it. Why didn't you tell me?"  
"There wasn't anything to tell. I had no idea Sara and me are more than friends."  
"Of course you knew you feel more for her than friendship."  
"I had no idea what she felt."  
"No reason not to tell me about your feelings. You have to make up for that. Dinner with ice cream."  
"I take the charge."  
"Good. Now, good morning, Sara."  
"Good morning Nico. I hope you're not unhappy about Sofia and me."  
"Oh please, you make her happy. Since you met my mom she smiles more. You're good for her and I don't believe you're playing with her feelings."  
"No."  
"See, why shouldn't I be happy for you? It's all good. Go on with whatever you had on your mind, I'm off to the market. See you later."  
"Have fun."  
"Ditto. But take the adult fun inside, your housemates don't want to see that."   
"Get lost!" Sofia shook her head and pulled Sara back in her arms. Her daughter was cheeky, her mother you'd say, Nico is like Sofia and the blonde it was true. Something to be proud of, her wonderful daughter. Another thing to be very proud of was the beautiful woman in her arms. She had Sara in her arms and could kiss her whenever she felt like it.   
"We have the blessings of your daughter."  
"We do. Will we get the blessings of your brother?"  
"Dean will be over the moon. His big sister dates a woman, who wonderful. Now he'll annoy us to join him in the clubs, go to Pride and all those things."  
"I've been to Pride last years, it's fun. We'll see about the clubs, the next weeks we'll be busy at home, with the puppies. I want to spend as much time with them as possible before they leave."  
"Me too."  
"Sounds like we have the same plans for our future."  
"Yeah, it looks this way. Good. I'd be very unhappy if you decide to move to Alaska out of the blue."  
"Alaska? Why on earth would I want to go there? It's cold up there. No Honey, I stay here with you. We leave the country next year for the Peru trip, until then I'll try to be every minute with you. We missed a few years of happiness together, we have to make up for it."  
"We can try. How about a walk on the beach with our dogs before the sun gets too hot?"  
"Holding hands?"  
"Sharing kisses on the beach?"  
"Walking barefoot through the water?"  
"What are we waiting for?" Sara pulled Sofia up and straight into her arms. First a kiss, to give her strength and because she liked nothing more than kissing Sofia. There'd be so many kisses on the beach.


End file.
